Your company’s culture is really the only true unique identifier and more important than ever. Company cultures are considered the personality of a company and define the values, work environment, ethics, goals and company mission. They guide how the employees of the company think, feel and act and your company culture has a significant effect on the success of a business.
If you need a little inspiration to determine your desired company culture (or maybe it just needs a makeover),check out these examples of what successful businesses are doing right now with their company cultures.
4 Awesome Company Cultures to Emulate Today
REI
REI is the perfect company to turn for great gear if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. Their company is all about employee involvement and credits its success to its employees. REI is a cooperative where profits benefit its member-owners with a mission to equip both customers and employees for the outdoors while promoting stewardship of the environment. REI says that its employees give “life to their purpose”. Employees are encouraged to win equipment through “challenge grants” where they submit challenging adventure proposals. REI also holds town hall-style meetings where employees are able to submit anonymous questions to help management understand what’s happening in the company.
Your Culture Takeaway
When your employees are immersed in the same interests as your company, the company culture is strengthened. Hire employees who share the interests and values that your business supports.
One of the best examples of company cultures out there, Google has become synonymous with “community”. Google lists its core values, “Ten things we know to be true,” on their webpage which was written just a few years after the company was founded. Google has set the tone for many of the benefits and perks other businesses are now known for. Employee trips, free haircuts, nap pods, on-site daycares, video games, on-site physicians, gyms, free meals, a dog-friendly workplace and so on, Google has hired people whose sole job is to keep employees happy and maintain productivity. This culture has paid off for Google since they’ve consistently ranked among the best places to work.
Your Culture Takeaway
It’s all in how you treat people. When you treat people like they’re part of the company and make sure they’re happy, you get better productivity. Maybe you don’t have free food or nap pods, and that’s okay. Make it your priority to ensure that every single person is engaged, being heard and their values are being put into practice. Try empowering your team to get the kind of results that Google gets.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest has been in the game for over 40 years and have always been able to communicate its goals and vision to their employees in a way that makes them a part of a unified team. Southwest employees are empowered to go the extra mile to make customers happy. Southwest puts their employees first which results in them treating their customers right, thereby making everyone happy.
Your Culture Takeaway
When you can convince employees of a larger common goal, they will be employees who are excited to be part of a larger purpose. A motivated employee will treat customers well and will be invested in the company. Create a culture that’s fun and inclusive and remind your team to not take themselves so seriously.
SquareSpace
Voted as one of the best places to work in New York City, SquareSpace is an open and creative company culture. They also offer a variety of perks including flexible vacations, full coverage of health premiums, relaxation spaces and catered meals. With solid benefits and down-to-earth leaders, SquareSpace’s company culture has a great deal of impact.
Your Culture Takeaway
Give employees a voice and always work to keep communication as open as possible. Having an open structure like SquareSpace helps employees feel engaged. Providing a level of empowerment and freedom boosts morale and confidence.
It’s clear that company cultures are not only a focus in the news today, but area also top of mind when talented people are searching for the right job. If you want your company to stand out with your customers and be able to snag some of the top talent in your industry, create and support a company culture that’s valuable and sustainable. The effort you put into maintaining and awesome culture will come back to you tenfold in success and satisfaction.
Positive work culture sustains employee enthusiasm and therefore greater productivity and efficiency. Here are 3 Elements That Make Up a Great Work Culture.
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References: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249174#, http://www.businessinsider.com/25-best-corporate-cultures-2014-8, http://blog.indeed.com/2016/09/21/build-great-organizational-culture/, https://www.referralcandy.com/blog/company-culture-examples/, https://emplify.com/blog/company-culture-examples/, http://grasshopper.com/resources/jump-starting-and-growing-your-business/brand-dna/, https://www.staples.com/content-hub/cultivate-a-positive-company-culture-5-examples-to-emulate/
