4 Strategies to Improve Company Culture
In today’s day and age, there is a lot of talk about inclusion and diversity. It’s not just in everyday life but in the workplace as well. This is a step in the right direction – people of all backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, and gender deserve to be treated equally at work.
More than 3 out of 4 workers prefer diverse companies because people want to work for a business that accepts them and all of their colleagues equally. But that being said, inclusion and diversity don’t happen overnight. If you want to see it in your business and improve your company culture, here is what you can do.
Ensure a sense of belonging for all employees
You can’t call yourself an inclusive and diverse organization if even one of your employees doesn’t feel like they belong. This sense of belonging allows people to be their best selves, become more engaged within the organization, and be creative.
But you need to remember that this will take time. You can’t create a workspace where everyone feels like they belong. It’s going to take a lot of work from both the management and the employees themselves to create a culture where nobody feels left behind.
If you truly want to prioritize diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace, you need that workplace to be a space that is full of acceptance and support and where everyone feels safe. When an employee comes to the office, they need to know they can share anything with the rest of the team without fear.
Make teamwork and collaboration a priority
Did you know that diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions? This is because when you have a diverse team of employees, you have access to different opinions and viewpoints. And when everybody’s input is taken into account, it becomes easier to make a good decision.
Collaboration and teamwork need to be at the center of your core company values because this way, everyone feels included. When you encourage collective brainstorming and decision-making, everyone on the team will be responsible for the company’s successes.
Don’t forget that collaboration is also extremely important if you’re trying to build a positive culture in a hybrid workplace, which is something a lot of businesses are doing at the moment.
But regardless of whether you’re working in the office, completely remotely, or have a hybrid workplace, always remember that teamwork and collaboration need to be a priority. And if you notice your employees aren’t working as a team as much as they could be, try to encourage team-building retreats.
Make collective accountability a part of your culture
For your work culture to function well and be healthy, it needs to have a set of ground rules everyone follows and abides by. At the end of the day, it’s a professional space. Rules are an important pillar that ensures a successful working environment.
In other words, whenever someone breaks one of the rules, they should face the consequences. However, in companies with a poor culture, consequences are usually reserved for lower-ranked employees and don’t matter when it comes to “more important” people in the company.
It’s important to let this mentality go! Make sure that whenever there’s a violation of the rules, the consequences need to be the same for everyone. Practice collective accountability for all, regardless of their position.
If you ignore a bad situation and let it go unpunished, you’re only going to create a toxic culture where it’s obvious that not everyone is treated the same. Regardless of whether someone has been in the company for ten days or ten years, a mistake is a mistake, and it should be handled appropriately.
Look beyond the hiring process
Nowadays, you see a lot of companies that are looking to boost their diversity numbers, thinking all it takes to create an inclusive culture is to have a diverse staff. But these companies often forget that the employee experience doesn’t stop with the offer letter; it’s where it starts.
It’s not enough to hire a diverse staff of talented people and think you’ve taken a step in the right direction. You need to nurture and retain these employees. And the only way to do that is to provide them with an amazing employee experience that includes more than just the fact they were hired.
For example, think about your meetings and how you are handling them:
- Are you inviting everyone who can provide a positive contribution?
- Does everyone get to speak freely and share their ideas?
- Are you leaving anyone’s input out even though it could be valuable?
Try to create conditions in your workplace where every employee can contribute in a meaningful and unique way.
Inclusion and diversity need to be a part of your company culture. This way, you’ll create a well-rounded and attractive culture for both employees and customers. Follow these strategies, and you will soon be able to create a culture where everyone feels welcome and included.
