Company culture plays a stringent role in growth and success. And the right culture enhances the capabilities of employees. Positive environments also promote creativity.

But what is company culture, how does it influence productivity, and how can employers create better environments for a thriving team?

Let’s dive into everything you need to know how to create an environment that encourages creativity. 

What is Company Culture? 

Company culture refers to the shared values, norms, attitudes, beliefs, and ethics that work within a company and make up its environment. 

Company culture is also about the unspoken rules from how employees approach work and deal with success and failure. People exit companies because of the poor work culture or the environment for development.

Why Company Culture Matters?

The beliefs, values and norms that make up the workplace environment solicit creativity and teamwork. The symphony of belief as employees makes room for development and success.

 A company that relies upon utilizing talent provides a team of ready people who are giving their best. If the company’s belief system is down to the last level, it becomes a team of synergy. Also, a strong culture shows that the company cherishes its staff. Apart from these, here are five other reasons it matters;

1. Attracts Talent

A strong and consistent culture encourages talented job seekers to seek to be employed in the company. Business Insider says, “Google receives two million job applications each year.” The same post highlights some of the cultural arrangements that entice this boom in applications, such as its amenities like swimming pools and its encouragement of creativity like its 20 percent rule. This policy says ‘Googlers’ should spend 20% of their time developing what can help Google.

2. Employee Retention

When employees feel that they belong and have a system that encourages creativity and are heard with beliefs that do not create hindrances, they enjoy working and would stay longer within the company. 

3. Performance and Innovation

A healthy culture encourages performance, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, as there is no fear of being the black sheep. An empowered workforce delights in creativity.

4. Customer Satisfaction

According to Snap surveys, “Satisfied employees are likely to assist customers with a more pleasant demeanor and a higher level of customer service. This creates a more satisfying customer experience, increases customer loyalty, and ultimately drives increased profitability.” 

5. Improves Collaboration and Teamwork

A healthy culture fosters trust, open communication, and mutual respect, making it easier for teams to collaborate and achieve goals.

The Challenges of Maintaining Company Culture

The growth of organisations through scaling, mergers, acquisitions, and remote work brings a more difficult approach to maintaining its culture. This is because, for instance, remote work calls for a more intense evaluation of its employees, making sure the culture is inculcated into them despite the distance. It is the same for outsourced employees. Here are three examples of its challenges;

1. Merger and Acquisition

Mergers and acquisitions can dilute the culture as there is an inclusion of people from diverse cultures in these separate companies, which is now a merger. There are communication and value differences, making it difficult to create a cohesive system easily. 

2. Remote and hybrid work systems

These work systems make it difficult to provide a cohesive culture system. With the distance barrier, tracking and inculcating the culture in the employees who aren’t up close is difficult.

3. Leadership Change

Leadership changes can cause a sharp shift and change in company culture. New leadership comes with some new changes, and that can change the company culture unknowingly. New ideas and new systems create somewhat of a tweak in the system.

Strategies For Maintaining Company Culture

To create a positive work culture, it is important to be strategic in creating a positive culture in today’s competitive market, where top talent is a critical advantage to company success. Here are seven key strategies companies can utilize to implement a positive company culture ;

1. Clear Communication

Every strong company culture depends on clearly defined values and beliefs. Values should not be written on websites and not be inculcated into employees. During onboarding sessions, employers should inculcate values in the new hires. 

2. Leadership

leaders must model the behaviours they want their employees to portray. If a company values Teamwork, the leader should be seen as having good collaborations with the staff.  

3. Invest in Employee Engagement

culture is not mutually exclusive as it is not standalone. Organise team-bonding activities that encourage teamwork and creativity. 

4. Onboard with Values

During the onboarding process, it is important to inculcate the values and norms in the new hires so they are at par with the existing team. Emphasize what is very important to the company and let them understand that they are a part of the overall goal. 

5. Foster a Feedback Culture

Allowing feedback and reviews by employees encourages teamwork, trust and mutual respect. When employees’ ideas are also considered, they are always motivated to be open to sharing them.

6. Be Dynamic

Company culture is not static – written in stone. Employers should be dynamic and abreast with the changes in HR policies and the needs and wants of the employees. 

7. Leverage Technology

In today’s digital age, technology shapes employee experiences. Companies should invest in digital tools and platforms that streamline processes, facilitate communication, and support remote work. 

Maintaining company culture matters because it attracts top talent and encourages retention, performance and innovation. It is also tough, as mergers and acquisitions can be hurdles to achieving a synergy of values. Nevertheless, company culture can be maintained by investing in employees, providing clear communication, and fostering a feedback culture. 

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