According to a study conducted at the end of 2018, almost 60 percent of American workers are currently either thinking about quitting their jobs or on the verge of doing it.
Why? Well, they’re considering leaving their jobs for all kinds of reasons.
Some think they should be making more money. Others are having a hard time finding the meaning in their work.
But there are also people who are leaving their jobs because they can’t stand the culture at their companies. They work at places that haven’t put enough of an emphasis on building company culture over time.
Does your company have a culture that’s designed to succeed? If not, you should do something about it, starting today.
Here are some of the easiest ways to create a better company culture and retain your employees in the process.
Hire the Right People
Building company culture from the ground up starts with putting the right people into place within your company.
The people you hire to work for your company should obviously have the skills that it takes to do the job you need them to do. But that shouldn’t be all that they bring to the table!
You should also look to hire so-called “culture champions” to work for your company. These people will:
- Bring a positive attitude to work each and every day
- Motivate those people who are around them
- Instill a stronger sense of confidence in their fellow employees
- Build strong and trusting relationships with others
- Keep honesty and integrity in mind at all times
It’s not easy to find culture champions. Most people will tell you that they’re going to do all of the things we just mentioned when you’re interviewing them—and then not live up to the hype.
But you should make it your mission to find as many culture champions as possible. They’ll set the tone for the rest of your company.
Set Clear Goals for Employees
In a study conducted during the summer of 2018, more than 50 percent of American workers admitted that they’re “not engaged” on a regular basis.
Some of these people revealed that they actively choose not to engage while they’re at work. But many also said that they don’t consider themselves engaged because they’re not sure what’s expected of them at work.
If you suspect that many of your employees aren’t engaged enough at work, think about setting clearer goals for them. Setting SMART goals, in particular, is a good way to let your employees know what you expect.
SMART goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Once you have SMART goals in place, you’ll find that your employees will be more focused at work. You’ll also find that they’re excited to tackle the task at hand and hit the goals you’ve set for them.
It’ll go a long way towards building company culture.
Provide Incentives People Want
In addition to setting SMART goals for those people who work for your company, you should give them incentives to keep them motivated, too.
Many people in management positions assume that a paycheck is all the incentive people need. But about 50 percent of Americans believe that they’re underpaid. As a result, they’re not always as willing to go above and beyond to hit goals if a paycheck is all you’re providing.
Provide some additional incentives when you’re working on building company culture. In exchange for hitting their goals, you should allow employees to earn things like:
- Free lunches
- Free days off
- Free company swag
- And maybe even things like free vacations
You should also consider celebrating birthdays, work anniversaries, and more. These things will help improve your company culture and make your employees feel more valued.
Encourage Employees to Take Care of Themselves
Work-life balance has turned into a foreign concept for many American workers. The majority of people work well over 40 hours every week these days, even though they don’t often collect any extra overtime pay for it.
You can help your company culture grow by encouraging people to try to achieve a better work-life balance. You can also encourage them to take steps to take better care of themselves.
Do this by:
- Finding deep discounts on gym memberships for your employees
- Allowing employees who work late into the night to sleep in and come into work late the following day
- Keeping fresh fruits in your break room to provide people with healthy food options
- Bringing in a masseuse to offer massages to your employees in the middle of a stressful week
You’ll be amazed by how receptive people are when you extend these things to them. They’ll feel as though you care about them and their well-being.
Evaluate Employees and Suggest Ways They Can Improve
At the end of the day, the employees who work for your company want to feel like you’re in their corner. They want to know that you’re doing everything you can to turn them into an even more valuable asset for your team.
One simple way to show your employees that you’re interested in their professional growth is by using online team assessments like this one offered by Team Resources to evaluate your employees.
This will give you a chance to point out the things that your employees are doing right. It’ll also allow you to show your employees some of the ways they can improve—both individually and as a team—to produce even better results day in and day out.
Begin Building Company Culture One Day at a Time
You can’t wave a magic wand and start building company culture. Changing your company culture for the better is something that can take months, if not years, to do.
But doing it will be well worth the time and effort that you put into it. You’ll find that your employees will be happier and that they’ll do their jobs better when you take steps to move your company culture in the right direction.
Browse through our blog to pick up some more ideas on building company culture and running a more successful business.
