What your company culture says about your business

Google offers free meals, subsidized massages, nap pods, and foosball games to its employees. Workers at Etsy can take breaks in the meditation room, and Pixar provides a cereal bar, swimming pool, and gourmet cafeteria at its campus.

It’s not just about fun perks, though. What all these extremely successful businesses have in common is a strong company culture. This culture makes them distinctive, and communicates their core values to their workers. Many companies have followed suit, instituting their own unique culture in their workplaces.

Your company culture is going to define your business. Once you realize how you want the world to see your company from the outside, and how it functions on the inside, you can start to build from there.

Why a strong company culture is important

It makes your company more attractive to potential hires. It’s tough to find good help. If your company culture is appealing to high-quality interviewees, they will likely be more interested in signing on.

According to Michael Dunworth, CEO of Snapcard, his company’s culture gives them a competitive hiring edge.

“As a startup in San Francisco, all of our team could take their pick from Facebook or Google or whoever they want because they’re all absolutely brilliant,” he says. “We need to have a strong ‘X factor,’ which is the culture, to make it worth their while.”

It appeals to young workers. Currently, the millennial workforce, which is the largest generation in the United States labor market, is demanding an improved work-life balance. If they don’t receive it, they may just find another job.

Employers must meet millennial expectations, and figure out tactics for attracting and retaining these workers. That’s where a unique culture comes into play.

It increases employee motivation. If you emphasize employees’ quality of life with your company culture, it shows your dedication to them. Therefore, they’re going to give you their loyalty in return.

“For existing employees, it’s important that they feel supported and can maintain a good work-life balance,” says Des Cahill, CMO of Samepage. “There will always be days and weeks where there’s tons of work to be done and lots of hours to log, but accomplishing our vision is a marathon and not a sprint, and we need our employees productive for the long haul.”

It makes people feel as if they’re being heard. When everybody contributes to your company culture, they all feel like they have an important part in the future of the business.

Dunworth says that at Snapcard, there is no hierarchal culture, and each person has a say.

“While we have a structure with managers, we don’t see it like that,” he says. “Everyone has a voice and everyone’s voice is equally important—whether you’re customer support or whether you’re VP of Engineering.”

What makes up your company culture?

Your values. Google doesn’t just give out free meals and inexpensive massages because they’re generous. They also do it because they believe in high employee satisfaction, and do everything they can to retain their workers. Every single one of your cultural practices is going to stem from your values. Determine what’s important to you, and then show it through action.

Your office environment. Are employees expected to come in and sit quietly at their desks? Or is there a culture of communication, where workers gather in communal areas to chat and brainstorm new ideas? Your office “vibe” is a crucial part of your culture.

Dunworth says that at Snapcard, they have, “music going all day, every day in the office. It’s not blazing loud, but it’s there. We find that most offices are like churches, and that creates a really stale environment.”

How employees work. Do you want your workers to come in every day for eight hours, or are you OK with them doing their jobs from home?

“We’re not bound by people being at their desks 9 to 5 to get the mission done,” Cahill says. “We want to empower our employees and trust that they’ll get the job done.”

Your commitment to social issues. What does your company stand for outside of the office? Does it donate any portion of the money it earns to certain causes? Does it encourage volunteering? Millennials especially care about this. It’s been found that one in three in this group will support companies based on their corporate responsibility, and seven in 10 young adults call themselves “social activists.” Pick some causes that you’re passionate about, and emphasize them among your workforce.

The perks you offer. Whether you’re giving out free beer on tap to motivate employees to socialize after work, or setting up places to nap in the common area so that they feel rested throughout the day, perks are important. They make work more enjoyable, and show that your leaders are dedicated to a work-life balance.

How to establish your culture

Figure out your values. Once you recognize what values are important to you, all of your company culture will trickle down from there.

Ask for employee input. Though you may decide upon your company values, there is no way they can be implemented without keeping your employees’ opinions and preferences in mind.

Test out different practices. You’re not going to figure out what works right away. Instead, do some testing. Offer employees the chance for one-on-one meetings with the boss once a week to discuss any issues. Give them the opportunity to try working remotely a few times per week. Hold a happy hour. By trying out various things, you can see what employees appreciate the most, and what encourages them to work harder and in a more collaborative manner.

Photo credit: Lauren Kallen

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