8 Tips To Create A Productive Business Culture

How To Create A Business Culture That Keeps Employees Motivated And Satisfied

Business culture is the “personality” of an organization. It determines the environment that your employees and your customers experience on a regular basis. It includes things like:

• The company’s mission.
• Expectations for your staff.
• General work atmosphere.
• How employees are treated.
• The connection between your business and the community.

Your company’s culture not only sets the tone for your entire business but also affects your employees. Employee turnover, for example, is directly impacted by good business culture.

When the culture is good, employees are happier – and happy employees are more productive employees. In fact, according to one study, happy workers are about 12 percent more productive than the average worker. Unhappy workers are generally 10 percent less productive than the average team member as well. A similar study reported that unhappy employees cost American businesses roughly $300 billion in missed revenue every year.

Clearly, it pays to ensure that your team is happy and productive. So, how can you do that? Getting your employees motivated is the first step.

The Motivation Problem In The Workplace

Gallup surveyed employees from 143 countries and found that only 13 percent are actually engaged at work. That means that only 13 percent are motivated and care about the company they work for. Those who are engaged are concerned about the success of their company and will go the extra mile to do their job well.

The other 87 percent are either not engaged or actively disengaged, which means that they are negative and may spread that negativity to others. Low levels of engagement can lead to the loss of up to one-third of a company’s operating income and an 11 percent decrease in earnings growth.

All of these statistics lead to the conclusion that it is worth the time and investment to make your employees happy – you just have to get started.

Tips To Motivate And Satisfy Your Workforce

Every employee is different. That means that what works for one person may not work for the rest. However, if you can create a specific type of business culture, your team as a whole will experience higher levels of motivation and job satisfaction. You can use the following tips to make positive changes to your business culture.

• Start by talking to your team – Take the time to talk to your employees about what motivates them or how they can do their jobs better. In many situations, workers would love to share how they think their position can be improved or what would make them perform better. Sometimes having a simple conversation with your current team can go a long way.

  Schedule regular team meetings and have face-to-face interactions. If an employee brings up an issue, be sure to follow up – this will show them how much you truly value their input.

• Create a good foundation – Your company needs to have a definitive mission and values. Take the time to develop the values that you want your company to be known for – whether that is efficiency, caring about customers, or innovation.

  You need to create a foundation that you can present to your employees. They cannot implement your culture on a regular basis if they do not know and understand what the culture is.

• Incorporate your foundational values wherever possible – It is one thing to say what your values are; it is another to actually live and breathe those values. For example, if one of your values is development or a focus on continual improvement, then you need to offer your employees ways to meet that value. Things like seminars, continuing education and team building exercises can all be used to put that value into practice.

  Find ways to incorporate the company’s values into the daily operations of the business. Once you can do that effectively, a business culture will grow and thrive.

• Reassess and evaluate regularly – You are not done once you have a plan in place to implement your values. Instead, you need to periodically review and determine whether your business culture is still motivating and engaging your team. If certain activities are no longer useful, consider another way to get the same message across. Surveys and regular communication with your staff will help you get the feedback you need.

  Encourage your team to speak freely and encourage contribution to discussions. Allowing them to contribute shows that you value and respect your team and their opinions.






• Be an example for your team – You cannot expect your employees to work hard for you if you do not follow your own rules. Show that you are excited and passionate about company goals and values.

  Ensure that your top management is also showing the same levels of enthusiasm. Remember, good moods are contagious – but so are poor attitudes.

• Provide opportunities for growth – When your company culture embraces personal and professional growth and development, employees feel valued and empowered. Workers are always more motivated when they feel like they are working toward something. If an employee knows that there is no opportunity for advancement, they may have little motivation to do better or to learn more.

  Offer training and resources so that they can become an even more valuable resource for your company. Provide autonomy among your team members, so they know you trust them to get the job done.

• Create a team mentality – The days when employees are at the same company for decades are long gone. Today, employees transition in higher numbers than ever before. In fact, as of February 2018, employee turnover was at the highest point it has been in 10 years.

  But, one of the reasons that workers stay is because they love their team, which includes both their co-workers and their management. Your team should have trust, a shared purpose and a clear identity. Keep an eye on turnover and productivity as indications of potential problems.

• Set goals and celebrate meeting those goals – Incentives and rewards can be very helpful to motivate workers. Create achievable goals, such as by the week, month, quarter or year. Then, celebrate those achievements. You may want to create individual goals as well as team goals to encourage productivity at every level.

  The key to a successful company is creating a business culture that fosters your employees, and these tips will point you in the right direction.

HJR Global helps businesses grow by providing knowledge and resources to ensure your company thrives in today’s competitive marketplace. Contact a member of our team for more information. Want more tips and resources? Check out our blog!