Company culture is one of the most important factors of any workplace. In fact, 94% of entrepreneurs say that good company culture is vital for success. With this in mind, you may want to start researching how to improve company culture in order to better support your employees. Not to mention, it always helps to keep working on making your office a better place. From improving office design to providing flexible working options, here are five straightforward ways to improve company culture.
Make your office a great place to work
A healthy company culture begins with a collaborative office space that employees actually enjoy working from. However, it’s difficult to encourage company wide collaboration without thoughtful office planning, so you should pay attention to the practicality of your office design. This includes attractive design choices, as well as accommodations that ensure both the comfort and productivity of employees in the office. Besides, no one can thrive in an uncomfortable workspace, which is why ergonomic office design will improve your company culture. Plus, a positive company culture will encourage employees to bring home comforts into the office and prioritise their health and wellbeing in the office. Employees will start to enjoy their work day more when they don’t dread coming into a dingy office, which can lead to burnout and employee dissatisfaction. It’s easier than you think to get started with a simple office refurbishment to update and upgrade the way your office works, or opt for a full office fit out for a drastic company-wide change. These improvements can be as little as adding some extra plants and comfy furniture, or as large as changing the office colour scheme.
Reward good work
There’s nothing more demotivating than working away at a huge project only to receive no recognition for your efforts. A good company culture recognises employees’ achievements and makes their work feel rewarding. Rewarding and recognising employees needn’t be formal or extravagant; a quick one-on-one meeting in a touchdown area is a casual way to show employees your appreciation of their hard work. This is one of the best ways to improve company culture as, in time, it will create a supportive and uplifting relationship between employees and their management.
Let teams be autonomous
Micromanagement is one of the first things that will destroy your company culture, leading employees to feel unmotivated and stressed out. Give teams autonomy in the way that they work, as this allows them to make their own decisions where appropriate. Plus, allowing employees to have control over their work will increase their motivation and accountability for the outcome of their work. This approach can be expanded to the way that employees are able to work within the space of the office, too. Design a calm office breakout area to give employees the autonomy to choose where and how they want to work inside the office. Alternatively, you could also implement a hot desking office design where employees can choose where to set up their workspace to best suit that particular working day.
Encourage good relationships between employees
It’s not uncommon for coworkers to form relationships and become friends, both in and out of the workplace. But, for those who don’t manage to bond with fellow employees, work can become a lonely place. A good company culture nurtures positive relationships between employees so that no one feels isolated or left out from office conversations. Of course, you can’t force employees to be best friends, however, there are ways to encourage a communicative and friendly company culture. Plan team building activities or social events that the whole team can participate in, though try to avoid too many alcohol-centred activities so as to not alienate those who don’t drink. By balancing hard work with a chance to let loose and have fun, your company culture will surely improve.
Be flexible
Taking a flexible approach to working hours is a guaranteed way to improve company culture. Whether this is allowing employees to leave a couple of hours early for an important event, or offering a hybrid working approach, flexibility is a must-have if you want to improve your company culture. Being flexible in the workplace will improve morale and make employees feel as though they have more freedom over how they choose to work. Don’t be stingy with holidays and time off, so that employees don’t feel trapped in their work cycle. This is essential for promoting a good work-life balance, and hence a positive company culture.
Upgrading your office space is one of the most effective ways to improve company culture in any sector, from healthcare to legal sectors. Contact a member of the Diamond Interiors team for an expert consultation on office design if you’re on a journey to improve your company’s culture.