03 Aug How to to Create a Corporate Culture for Employee Engagement
Organizational culture is defined as a underlying beliefs, values and ways of interactions that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization.
Culture works. A strong culture unifies and connects people and can have a lasting impact.The company culture and values contributes to the company’s success beyond its strategy and top management.
What type of culture does the employee identify with?
- Openness and transparency where the employees feel free to voice their opinions, ideas or even criticism in the organization.
- Integrity and trust. Moral values such as honesty, integrity and trust must be promoted and adopted within the organization. Focus on the positive side of things and do not highlight negative words. For example, “no lies, no hiding” is not a good way to present the values of a company.
- Participation and empowerment: employees are given the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process and feel empowered to exert influence in the organization. Teamwork, dialogues and collaboration are emphasized.
- Fairness: employess are treated fairly, valued and appreciated. They are provided opportunities for professional growth, praised and given bonuses for achievements and performance.
- Innovation: employees are encouraged to be open to new things, take risks, to embrace changes, think outside the box and take innovative initiatives. Creativity and entrepreneurship are valued.
- Sharing and learning: Employees openly share their knowledge, experience and information within the corporate community. Sharing and continuous learning from one another is rewarded and encouraged.
- Diversity: The organization embraces individuals for their uniqueness and diverse backgrounds regardless of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Differences and various perspectives are respected and valued.
- Social responsibility. The organization recognizes and supports the environment it belongs, establishes a goal towards supporting a cause and support various issues of society.
- Fun and positive energy. Employees work in an pleasant atmosphere and have a good mood. Achievements are celebrated, appreciated and rewarded.
What should leaders do to establish a corporate culture for engagement?
- Identify a cause. Find out the area where your company may have the greatest impact in society, a cause where it could play a decisive role. Align the corporate mission with social development and the objective. For example, Facebook aims to “make the world more open and connected.” Uber focuses on making “transport as reliable as running water.”
- Establish and communicate mission, vision and values. Discuss them at every opportunity and reward those who adhere to them.
- Act as role models for values. Be the kind of person whom you want the employees to be and whom they identify, who meets all the values the organization promotes.
- Integrate culture into leadership and communication. Develop and cultivate a transparent leadership style and open communication. An authentic leader reflects a culture of integrity, openness and transparency and communication through bidirectional dialogue.
- Recruit and cultivate the right persons. Select new hires who fit the corporate culture and organize programs to boost your organizational culture.
What are the challenges you face in developing the organizational culture of your company?
