We normally think of company culture in terms of larger companies, but it can be just as important for your small business as well. And don鈥檛 worry; you won鈥檛 have to break the bank!
What is company culture?
If you aren鈥檛 familiar with the term, company culture can be thought of as your business鈥檚 personality. Your company鈥檚 culture plays a role in determining how you, your employees and your customers perceive your business. A good company culture will sustain an atmosphere that encourages employees to come to work and enjoy the time spent. However, a poor company culture can be detrimental as your employees will not likely wish to continue to work in a negative environment.
How do I create my company culture?
The first thing that comes to mind for employers looking to create a better work environment is amenities. While food and drinks are important in creating a happy work environment, they surely aren鈥檛 everything, and they don鈥檛 have to be expensive. Coffee is a staple in most offices, and small snacks here and there don鈥檛 have to cost you a fortune. What鈥檚 more important is how you present yourself to and interact with your employees.
Workers thrive in an environment with a supportive, caring employer. If you are always negative and looking for something to criticize, your employees will likely avoid you and dread the days that you stay in the office. Instead, give helpful suggestions and constructive criticism. But be careful; this doesn鈥檛 mean that you should be lax with your rules or let your employees get away with murder. You should always be respected by your employees as their boss.
Hiring to fit your company culture
Which of your current employees would you consider your top-performer, and why? What makes him or her successful? Why can you not afford to lose that person? Write down your responses to these questions and review them carefully. This is the type of personality you鈥檙e looking for when hiring new employees. Your newly-hired employees should add to, or at least sustain your company culture, not detract from it.
And finally, consider drafting a mission statement for your company. Most large, successful businesses have a mission statement in place that serves as the company鈥檚 guideline. Your mission statement outlines who you are as a company, your business focus, your company policies and values, etc. But this is not something that can or should be drafted up in ten minutes. Think carefully about what you want this mission to portray, jot down some ideas, and go from there.
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