What business resources are most valuable to the future of your company? Is it your tach stack made up of online applications? Is it the funding you receive from angel investors? Is it the personalities on the executive team? That last one is closest to the mark. People are your most important resource.
The significance of company culture has taken center stage in recent years, especially since COVID-19 completely changed the workforce. People will no longer tolerate uncomfortable work environments, and the willingness to leave a business because of an unhealthy culture has grown.
Preserving the future of your business in Solvang, California, means adapting to the needs of the workforce. In this case, developing a healthy internal culture is the key to getting the most out of your employees and keeping them happy. Let’s discuss a few strategies to improve the culture of your company.
Office Incentives
People tend to work harder when there is something in it for them. While some employers may argue that a salary and benefits package is incentive enough, workers will be inspired to greater heights if there is more incentive on the table. Extra paid time off can be a great motivator because who doesn’t love more vacation time? Company swag can be a simple way to reward hard-working employees while also fostering greater brand recognition in the community.
Employee recognition is another incentive strategy that can reward workers for their productivity or innovation, thereby encouraging others toward these two goals. A health rewards program is something that all employers should know how to implement to prioritize wellness. Give your team members something to work toward so they can be more productive and happier when they receive incentives.
Provide Professional Development
Another aspect of a healthy company culture is workers who are consistently improving. If you have them doing the same tasks over and over with no investment in their education, their talent ceiling is unlikely to develop. However, if you promote professional development through incentives or providing opportunities yourself, your team members will increase their skills.
You could offer a stipend for online classes related to their job responsibilities. Bring in an industry expert to speak at an event and provide valuable insight to your team. Consider attending a leadership conference as a group. Investing in professional development will make your employees feel valued.
Take Care of the Workspace
A good way to ruin a person’s mood is to put them in a space that is unclean or outdated. For workers, this could slow down productivity and damage their mental health. This is why a healthy company culture includes taking care of the workspace. It starts with the outside of the building. If the parking lot or sidewalks have developed cracks or potholes, hire an asphalt paving contractor to fix them.
Make sure the entryway of the building or office is welcoming, perhaps with some gorgeous landscaping concepts. Keep the workspace well-lit and open to encourage communication. Encourage workers to keep workspaces clean at the end of each day so they can return to a fresh setting the next day and get right to work. Caring for the building your team works in can boost everyone’s mood.
Team Bonding Activities
One of the most common strategies to grow a company culture is to focus on team bonding activities. There is a big difference between team bonding and team building. Bonding is about bringing the individuals in the workplace closer together so they get along better. Team building, on the other hand, focuses on improving collaboration and communication. The two can overlap, but creating a warmer environment for all employees involves a focus on team bonding activities. For example, more office parties and celebrations are a great way for everyone to get a break and do something fun with each other.
Encouraging longer lunch breaks occasionally and setting up a warm social space can improve relationships between individuals. If you have the time and resources for a company retreat, this time can be used for both professional development and social bonding. Better cohesion and familiarity among team members can yield happier employees who work harder and stick around longer.
Unhealthy Culture Leads to High Turnover
One of the costliest mistakes a Solvang, CA business can make is not valuing its employees. Primarily, it could mean your workers are less productive, but another side effect is high employee turnover. When people leave your company due to dissatisfaction with the culture, a productivity gap appears. A new employee has to be hired and trained before they are up to speed, which can result in lost time and resources for the company.
If you had developed a better culture, thereby keeping the original employee around, you would have been able to hold on to this valuable resource. Happier workers are both more productive and more likely to stick around, so focus on the strategies in this article to develop a healthier culture.
