Your brand personality can be attributed to the overall workplace culture, and this should be defined when you establish your business. Many entrepreneurs make a huge mistake of not defining their work culture from the get-go.
Why? Because workplace culture will make or break your company’s success. Here’s everything you need to know about workplace culture, the different types, and its benefits.
What is Workplace Culture?
Workplace culture is what your company and its employees are all about. It’s not only centered around branding, but it’s also about how higher-ups and rank-and-file employees act and collaborate.
Your corporate culture is what defines you as a company. Therefore, entrepreneurs must establish workplace culture if they want to attract like-minded individuals. In a nutshell, workplace culture embodies everything in the company. Principles, values, beliefs, traditions, personalities, behaviors, to name a few.
Other factors that define your workplace culture are:
- Management (Procedures, systems, hierarchy, goals, decision-making process, support, etc.)
- Leadership (Employee communication, vision, skills, stories, etc.)
- People (Diverse skills, experiences, behaviors, beliefs, personalities, values, etc.)
- Practices (Training, work ethics, performance analysis, work-life balance, recruitment, benefits, promotions, etc.)
- Communication (Transparency, interaction, performance evaluation, etc.)
- Office Branding (Office interior design, objects, furniture, cubicles, amenities, etc.)
- Mission and Vision
When people apply for jobs, an organization’s culture is one of the first things they consider. This is vital, so they know if they will fit in, and fitting in is crucial if they want a long-term and stable career. If your workplace culture is undefined, this confuses the people you hire or are interested in your company. In turn, issues might arise due to different views and principles from various company departments.
Maintaining a healthy workplace culture is the secret ingredient of a successful business. It’s what keeps employees and managers together. Having a distinct work culture also establishes a sense of pride and belongingness in the organization. Overall, this motivates employees and increases productivity. Plus, a defined organizational culture leads to better hiring choices and, more importantly, employee happiness and satisfaction.
Types of Workplace Culture
Your workplace culture is a powerful representation of your brand. Don’t let your work culture form over time, relying on factors that come and go define it. Demonstrate the type of workplace culture you want right off the bat. Do this by setting boundaries, clarifying your mission and vision, hiring the right people, and displaying the suitable characteristics.
When an applicant enters your office space and feels a distinct atmosphere that’s inspiring, you’ve just succeeded in characterizing your organization’s culture. In addition to that, a workplace culture that is highly engaging and open can lead to employee retention. If you’re unsure of what your workplace culture is, yours could be one of these seven types:
Leadership
When an organization has strong leadership work culture, employees are honed for success. This means there are continuous training sessions, performance evaluations, coaching programs, to name a few. Superiors train their subordinates for better positions in the company by offering coaching sessions throughout their career. It’s about strong leadership in this culture, and employee promotions are fast-tracked.
Customer Service
When an organization puts the customers first, this categorizes them in a workplace culture that revolves around customer service excellence. The adage, “The customer is always right,” is the holy grail in an organization like this. The management and employees eat, breathe, and sleep customer reviews and ratings. Conducting regular customer surveys is also a constant in this type of workplace culture.
Innovation
An innovation-focused company treats any ideas as gold. Whether the ideas are conservative or crazy, the organization strives to get them all out there. This type of company is always looking for ways to keep up with market trends and stay ahead of them. Cutting-edge technologies and systems are inevitable in this type of culture.
Sales-Oriented
Quotas and daily gross sales are elements of a sales-oriented culture. In this type, the aim is to hit the daily mark to increase company revenues consistently. Superiors monitor employee performance. Also, they coach them if they’re not meeting their sales goals. Incentives and commissions are common in this type of culture.
Empowerment
In a culture where empowerment reigns, no employee is left behind. Everyone is on equal footing, regardless of position. Entry-level employees are never undervalued. In most cases, superiors encourage subordinates to approach superiors with feedback and suggestions.
Performance-Driven
In a performance-driven workplace culture, employees work in a dog-eat-dog environment. They do everything in their abilities to rise on top and acquire power through quality and all-out performance. Insurance or real estate companies are examples of this culture where the common goal is set aside for individual goals.
Individuality
An organization that embraces individuality typically has a playful work culture. There is a lighthearted vibe when working in a company like this. The staff is welcome to display their “weirdness” in the workplace. In some cases, employees decorate their cubicles to fit their personalities.
Benefits of Workplace Culture
Maintaining a healthy workplace culture is the key to improving overall business operations. Here are the top benefits of positive workplace culture:
- Establish Loyalty. Employees’ needs are more in tune with the work culture. In turn, they “give back” and stay loyal to the management and the company in general, which improves their commitment.
- Enhance Productivity. Working in an atmosphere that resonates with positivity leads to better productivity.
- Better Opportunities. When companies establish workplace culture, it increases the chances of hiring the right talents. It attracts the right people and gives off the type of branding that also emanates within your target audience.
- Unity. Since companies are more selective of the employees they choose, everyone is more united. Hiring employees means their lifestyles, personalities, and behaviors align with the company culture. Overall, this makes employees feel that they are part of a great team.
- Increase Employee Satisfaction. Happy employees are satisfied employees. If the company embraces every employee’s individualism, this motivates employees to work harder. Whether the company rewards them or not, working in a positive environment feels satisfying nonetheless.
