An essential question that all companies should be asking themselves is how to build office culture. Companies should strive to build a culture that empowers employees and motivates and values teams. This blog explores key tips to help companies build the office environment to take them and their employees to the next level.
What Does Company Culture Mean?
Company culture is the ethos a company is built on. This ranges from the values, behaviours, and beliefs that shape and guide how employees work and interact with the people around them. Company culture also includes the mission statement, values, and traditional practices that vary from company to company. The term developed in the 80s, was accepted in the 90s, and has evolved into an essential aspect of office culture today.
How to Build Office Culture: Top Tips
1. Solidify Your Company Values
For all the employees to be on the same page, it is important to define company values. This is the foundation of a company, and these values should reflect the company’s overall mission, vision statement, and principles. Ensure these are widely communicated in the office and online for potential employees who want to understand your business. It is also worth noting that these should be concise and understandable, as one study found that 27% of employees thought their company values had too much corporate jargon, making them harder to understand and implement.
2. Set The Tone
When leaders ask the question, how do they build office culture? A lot can be attributed to leading by example. This is why it is crucial to operate in a way that reflects office culture; this can range from transparency, responsibility, continuous learning, integrity, doing your best, and many more. Setting a standard like this will have a trickle-down effect on those around you and motivate others to work similarly whilst creating a positive office environment.
3. Encourage Coffee Breaks
Regular breaks throughout the day are essential for well-being and morale. A simple 5-minute chat with colleagues by the office coffee machine can do wonders for employees and has become a big part of office culture. Encourage your company employees to take these breaks to enjoy coffee and catch up with workmates.
4. Promote Collaboration
As office culture is shared between all employees in all departments, getting their feedback and recommendations can be a good idea. To do so, it is essential to allow the teams to get to know each other, and promoting teamwork and collaboration is a great starting point. This can help to achieve office inclusivity and respect, helping to level up the office culture.
5. Celebrate the Wins
Recognising employee success in all forms is crucial to creating the right office culture. These big and small wins range from employee anniversaries and birthdays to meeting team targets and employee contributions. By acknowledging these, the company is promoting a positive environment and helping to boost employee morale. One study found that 86.3% of employees felt more motivated to succeed at work after feeling recognised, implying just how important this is.
6. Encourage Work-life Balance
A thriving office culture can only exist if employees have an equal balance between their home and working lives. It is up to those in senior management positions to ensure this can happen and offer support to those needing help. Companies can improve the work-life balance by offering flexible working styles, including working from home and outside the typical 9-5 office hours. Promoting taking breaks and well-being can help stop employees from feeling burnt, and offering help services such as counselling can be a medium to help those struggling with mental health issues. Many employees value a subsided gym membership, and as physical exercise has many benefits to physical and psychological health, this is a great option to support your workers.
7. Promote Professional Development
Many company values consist of continuous development. To encourage employees to adhere to this, investing in their professional development is a great option. This can range from offering participation in courses, events, training, and workshops. These additional resources help improve employee knowledge and empower them to try new things and reach their goals, helping to enhance their contribution to their company whilst solidifying the office culture.
8. Take Feedback On Board
Allowing employees to provide feedback and suggest new ideas to help create a better office culture is important. This lets employees know their contributions are heard, valued, and implemented, and it also allows the office culture to adapt and improve from the bottom up. Two ways companies can take on board feedback are regular feedback meetings or anonymous suggestion boxes.
9. Promote Diversity and Inclusion
It is vital to ensure everyone feels included in the office. By showing your commitment to diversity and creating an inclusive workplace, employees will feel more comfortable, valued, and empowered and be motivated to input and achieve their goals. To create this shared vision, companies can provide diversity and inclusion training and mentorship to ensure everyone is represented and heard in the workplace.
We hope you can take away some valuable tips on how to build office culture at your company. The Office Coffee Company has coffee solutions for offices around the UK; please get in touch for more information or to arrange a coffee tasting.
