Employers Resource

How to Strengthen Company Culture For Your Small Business

 

 

Company culture is vital to the success of a small business. It helps not only bring in better talent, but also retain those employees because they feel happier and more comfortable at work. Employees are more engaged, motivated, and productive at work because they more passionately identify with the company’s mission. 

Creating this kind of strong company culture can be incredibly difficult, however. We here at Employers Resource want to help you strengthen company culture in your small business, so here are some of our favorite ways to make this happen.

Establish Your Company’s Core Values

To create a strong company culture, there needs to be a foundation on which this culture is built. This foundation should be in the form of your company’s core values and beliefs. These should not necessarily be a strict set of rules for specific circumstances. Instead, they should be guiding principles and philosophies that are applicable across the board and inform the creation of more specific guidelines.

Think of these core values as the “why?” behind your decisions and the specific guidelines your company follows—the overarching reason behind the processes your company follows.

Is it done that way for efficiency reasons? Then institute efficiency as a core value.

Is it in order to encourage creativity and unique solutions from your employees? Then emphasize those ideas.

Doing this will strengthen company culture by more concretely defining what makes it unique to your company. This makes employees more likely to buy in because it provides them with a more tangible sense of direction and purpose in their work. In turn, you will strengthen company culture    

Apply Your Core Values Consistently

If you want strong company culture, then these core values must be applied consistently. Few things can cause a rift between employees faster than a sense of favoritism or preferential treatment of some employees over others. If managers or seasoned employees are perceived to be cutting corners or failing to pull their weight in ways that others would find themselves in hot water for, then this will likely cause bitterness in the office.

Consistency is also vital when making business decisions. It’s important to have a set of well-defined company values that not only guide how you interact with others, but also how you conduct business.

If a particular practice does not fit within those values, then you need to be consistent about it. If you wouldn’t do something do something for a small client because it doesn’t line up with your core values, then you shouldn’t do it in order to land a big client, or to make easier money. Employees see through this, causing them to question your decision-making and the very legitimacy of those core values. This is one of the fastest ways to tear down the identity you have built for your company. When there’s no identity for company culture to be stand upon, it is doomed to fall.

Hire For Your Company Culture

Pretty much everyone can probably think of a time when they worked with someone who simply did not fit in well with the company. Many times, this person may even be brilliant and look perfect for the job on paper, but that does not mean they will necessarily be a success.

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If your company thrives in times of collaboration and support, then they may not be a good fit if they are selfish with their time or ideas. Inversely, if your company requires a great deal of self-motivation, management, and organization, then even the most seemingly qualified candidate may struggle if those are not traits they possess.

If you hire employees that mesh well with your company’s established core values, then they are more likely to help strengthen company culture through the individual abilities, ideas, and point of view. As this culture grows, so will the overall strength, ability, and capability of your company and employees. 

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