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How to Create a Positive Workplace Culture
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Positive workplace culture is vital for building a productive, happy organisation. Ensuring employees feel safe and content within their place of work can put your organisation on the path to success, while a toxic workplace culture can be disastrous.
In this article, we will explore the benefits of a positive workplace culture, why it can make or break an organisation, and how to foster a positive culture.
Understanding Workplace Culture
In essence, culture in the workplace is the ‘personality’ of an organisation. It’s important not only for company image, but also to help employees thrive and productivity soar.
What is a Positive Workplace Culture?
When a company’s policies, goals, values and attitudes align for the betterment of staff wellbeing, a workplace can achieve a positive culture. Good culture helps employees find meaning and motivation in their work, ultimately boosting company performance.
The Traits of a Healthy Workplace Culture
Because every company is different, as are their employees, a positive workplace culture may look different between businesses. However, there are a few key markers of a healthy workplace culture: effective communication, clear direction, appreciation, widespread respect and teamwork.
The Importance of Workplace Culture
Positive workplace culture isn’t simply a nice-to-have. The entire concept is based on positive psychology, which dictates how people find meaning and happiness in their lives. Culture can shape the way employees think, behave and perform while at work. In fact, recent survey data reveals that 32% of new hires would leave a job within their first 90 days if they didn’t feel aligned to the company culture.
On the other hand, employees who feel positively towards their company’s culture are happier and more focused, productive and creative. A Gallup survey reports that employees who feel connected to their organisation’s culture are:
- Four times as likely to be engaged at work
- Almost six times as likely to recommend their organisation as a great place to work
- 62% less likely to experience burnout “often or always” at work
- 43% less likely to be actively searching for a new role
Building a healthy company culture promotes talent retention and creates an overall more constructive, beneficial working environment for your people.
How to Change Workplace Culture
Improving workplace culture can’t happen overnight. Organisations need to be intentional about their values and practices and ensure they’re sustainably integrating them into every area of the business. Here’s how to improve workplace culture:
Establish Clear Company Values and Goals
Building a better workplace culture begins with your company’s values and objectives. Having a strong mission and clear values helps employees feel aligned and sets out what the company stands for.
Communicate and reinforce your business’s goals and values by recognising employees who demonstrate these through employee recognition schemes.
Encourage Open Communication and Feedback
Employees need to feel like their voices are heard and their opinions are considered. Giving employees opportunities to receive and provide feedback—and subsequently acting on that feedback—builds trust and collaboration amongst employees and between managers and staff.
Foster Inclusivity and Diversity
Diversity and inclusivity initiatives are non-negotiables in the modern workplace. Creating an inclusive workplace ensures diverse voices are heard, which promotes cohesion, creativity and improved problem solving. Ensuring hiring practices are unbiased and offering diversity training can improve workplace diversity and inclusivity.
Recognise and Reward Positive Behaviour
Acknowledging and rewarding employees’ positive contributions and hard work enhances motivation and morale throughout an organisation. A well structured rewards program can help employees align their behaviour and performance with the company’s values and goals. Rewards can include extra time off, monetary rewards, public recognition, schemes like Cycle to Work, or personalised gifts.
Promote Work-Life Balance and Wellbeing
Research has proven that a good work-life balance can enhance employee performance, improve workplace diversity and reduce burnout. Having time to recharge and rejuvenate outside of work gives employees renewed enthusiasm and energy when they return to the workplace, boosting their productivity and creativity.
Flexible working benefits often lead to more diverse talent attraction, particularly parents who require flexible arrangements for childcare. Employers should promote mental health resources, incorporate wellbeing initiatives and allow flexible work arrangements to help their people navigate work-life boundaries.
Addressing Challenges in Changing Workplace Culture
Creating cultural change can be a long road. There are many challenges that could arise in the process, but the potential outcome makes it worth the investment.
Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Change
Improving workplace culture, particularly when a toxic workplace culture already exists, can be met with resistance from both leadership and employees. People can easily become comfortable in their existing routines and behaviours, even if they’re not beneficial or productive, and can be hesitant to put in the work needed to break their habits.
Employers should consider integrating cultural changes piece-by-piece. An overnight overhaul of the current culture may overwhelm or discourage employees. Introduce new cultural initiatives and practices slowly but surely to give people the time to adjust.
Gaining Leadership Support
Leaders in the company must be on board with cultural change. Develop a detailed strategy for changing culture in the workplace, including reasons why cultural shifts are necessary and the timelines and costs associated with these initiatives. This ensures leaders are all on the same page about workplace culture and can help you implement changes.
How Vivup Can Help
It’s essential to protect and prioritise employees’ wellbeing and foster a positive workplace culture; in fact, it’s key to bringing out the best, most productive versions of your people in an environment where they feel valued and empowered.
With Vivup, your organisation will gain access to a range of employee benefits, including:
- Comprehensive wellbeing support, including mental health resources and fitness apps
- Around-the-clock confidential counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme
- Online GP consultations
- Personal, emotional and financial health and wellbeing tools for employees through Your Care.
Join the 7,500 organisations already making a difference in their company culture with Vivup. Contact us or book a demo to find out more.
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