It seeps through in every memo, every meeting, and even every e-mail. The tone of the company culture where one works is extremely important. A strong and supportive company culture can contribute to increased retention, productivity, and more. On the other hand, a toxic work culture can lead to burnout, backstabbing, lost profits, and worse. As such, business leaders must use every tool at their disposal to foster a positive and empowering company culture that will ultimately help everyone grow.
The human resources department plays a major role in the development of that culture. In fact, HR is often called in to settle disputes between employees and ensure that everyone can move forward in a more positive manner.
Considering this, we want to explore some of the effective HR strategies for creating the strong company culture that everyone wants.
How HR Helps to Establish a Strong Company Culture
HR supports your people and create the foundation for your company to thrive. Here are some of the critical ways HR can help your company get a step ahead.
Establish a Core Set of Values
Before employees can strive for the idealistic goals of the company that they work for, they need to know what those goals are. They can be defined by a set of values the company aims for. Every company is capable of creating their own set of core values, but some commonly used examples include the following:
- Integrity - This virtue is just as valuable in a business setting as it is in one’s personal life. People like to work with others whom they feel they can trust. Taking on every project with transparency and a sense of ethics is something that should be at the top of the list of a company’s values.
- Respect - This means treating everyone equally and understanding that while there might be differences between people, the most important thing is that we are all trying to pull in the same direction for the company.
- Teamwork - Speaking of pulling in the same direction, it is also smart to specifically prioritize teamwork on the list of core values for the company. After all, when everyone works together, much more can be accomplished in a shorter period.
These are just examples of some of the core values that can help create a strong work environment. You can select from this list or add your own.
Focus on Hiring People That Fit with the Company Culture
Hiring managers in the HR department often mention wanting to hire people who fit the company culture well. These are not just pretty words they throw out to make themselves look good. Instead, they sincerely care about finding the right people to contribute to the positive atmosphere they have attempted to cultivate.
People who are likely to mesh well with the positive environment and core values established by the company are invaluable. They contribute to the company's continued success almost immediately, and they are likely to get along with others within the organization as well. Besides that, these individuals are also unlikely to take away from what you are trying to build. Ultimately, a lot of the environment-building process begins at the hiring stage.
Keep the Door Open to Feedback and Communication
One of the greatest threats to any relationship (personal or business) is a lack of communication. When all parties involved aren’t speaking with one another openly, it becomes incredibly challenging to get much done. That’s why the HR department is responsible for keeping the door open for constant feedback from employees.
Feedback can be fostered in many ways, including:
- Employee Surveys - Among the ways that employees can let their HR departments know how they are doing is via anonymous surveys. This allows the employee to express their feelings without worrying that they will face blowback for whatever they have to say.
- Suggestion Box - It might be an old-fashioned way of communicating, but it is still effective. A suggestion box is a place where employees can drop in little notes with ideas or recommendations for how the company can run better.
- One-on-One Meetings - Sometimes the best way to express ideas is in a face-to-face meeting with someone who has some authority to make changes. One-on-one meetings are a way to get those feelings out.
These are all excellent ways to keep the communication flowing throughout the company and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to have their feelings heard.
Explore What the Competition is Doing
It is not always necessary to come up with a brand-new idea completely on your own. Many companies borrow from one another and use the concepts perfected by other companies to solidify their own position.
If you have a competitor that appears to have a happy and strong company culture, then there is nothing wrong with taking a peek at the ideas that they have put into place to make that happen. You might find that you want to borrow from what they have already built and leverage the ideas that they must create your own strong and fully-functional workplace environment.
Take Small Steps Everyday
The task of creating a strong and positive work culture can seem like a daunting one if you try to take on the whole thing at once. Instead, it is better to make some small steps towards progress each day. Those steps build upon each other and make it possible to slowly but surely transform the environment where you work into the kind of place where everyone is happy.
Human resources departments carry quite a bit of this load on their shoulders, but they are not the only department where change can occur. Everyone should be striving towards the same end goals. However, the tone is set within the HR department and radiates out from there.
Carefully consider the messages that you are sending out to your workforce in everything that you do. Over time you will start to see the changes taking place all around you.
Work with ABO to Develop a Strong Culture
ABO is an IRS-certified PEO that provides the expertise and support needed to transform your HR processes and foster the development of a thriving company culture. By partnering with ABO, you gain access to comprehensive HR solutions, from establishing and maintaining core values to enhancing communication and improving employee engagement. Our team is committed to helping your company create a strong, positive workplace environment that drives success and aligns with your goals.
Reach out to ABO today to learn more about how we can support your HR needs and guide your culture development.
