Four Ways to Improve Company Culture and Increase Your Company’s Bottom Line

There are a few things to always pay close attention to in a company, like your employees’ salaries, morale in the office, understanding of vision and many more. But one aspect of your company’s daily activities that need to be reinforced constantly is the company culture. This is basically what affects how well your company does in terms of human capital and achieving results.

A few years ago, Warwick University conducted research using Google as its case study, to find out just how important a happy company culture can affect the company’s bottom line. They discovered that Google’s bottom line improved by 37% after they had started investing more in employee satisfaction. This, among other studies, proved that the happier your employees are the better off the company is.

Tech companies like Google use various tactics that ensure their employees look forward to work every day. Workers have access to free food, free gymnasium, courses led by category gurus and more. These perks birth fun and vibrant environments that makes work seem less like work thus making work more enjoyable as opposed to strenuous.

Now, you might be thinking – ‘if the employees are off eating free food and improving their lives, then who’s working on my projects?’ Well, the answer is simple – they are!

It is important for your company to ensure that even though employees look like they’re really having time to themselves, they’re still getting work done. Apart from activities that you really have no control over like eating and going to the gym, you can ensure the “fun activities” make them better for you. Offering courses that train them to be more efficient employees, team-building exercises that improve their ability to work on projects etc. will help them work for you better. A bit cynical, but you are running a business here.

So, if you’re new to this ‘happy company culture’ thing, you’re probably wondering how to get started. How do you transform your employees from robot-like worker bees that can’t wait for the close of business, to happy people who love coming to work for you?

We have 4 tips to help;

1. The Employee Comes First

This might sound like you’re running a daycare for the employed but hear me out. Your employees form a very crucial part of your company. They handle your delicate files, constantly have one on one conversations with your clients, spread the word about your company, and represent your company anywhere they go and basically run the show for you. You might not know this, but their needs need to be your priority.

The employees who are satisfied with where they work and discover a sense of value there, become invested. They want to show up to work and do the work, they don’t mind spending extra hours to make sure they put in their best and see you and their colleagues as their family.

What’s in it for you? You get the best out of your employees. Your wins become their wins and your losses become their losses. They fight for your company like it was their own and go the extra mile to ensure the overall company growth. So, put them first and they’ll put you first. It’s a win-win situation.

2. Promote Positivity

The saying – ‘you become what you eat’ comes into play here. What are your employees eating? In other words, what are they consuming from the environment you provide them with? Is it a positive one?

As a leader of the company, you set the pace for others to follow. By promoting positivity always, you tell your employees that your company is a safe, feel-good place that they want to work and remain in. In order to do this, try positive actions like showing gratitude often, encouraging your employees, speaking in a firm but calm tone, taking a stand against abuse or wrong actions in the office, smiling often and expressing genuine concern for members of staff. These actions will positively impact your employees, causing them to replicate your actions which will lead to more positive company culture.

3. Keep What Works, Fix What Doesn’t

The law of change applies here but it is important to take a close look at it. If you’re phasing out of one company culture into another, you need to take a closer look at what you’re letting go of before you do, even if it has become a trend in your industry.

Let’s look at an example: Let's imagine your company has always had a culture of taking a team bonding trip every June to improve team building and have fun. This has drastically improved employee relations and teamwork and has worked for you. If you then perhaps hear that competitor companies have stopped team bonding trips and now give paid leave instead, this doesn’t mean you have to do the same. You might decide to incorporate it in some way to ensure your employees have the best work experience with you, but you shouldn’t let go of what already works.

Ensure your employees have their needs met by enquiring of them often to see how they feel about certain activities in the office. If the employees request for a switch to paid leave, then that can be taken into consideration or combined in some way. In summary – do what works for you, while you keep improving in mind.

4. Add Value

An important part of turning your company culture into a positive one is adding value to those around you, including yourself. There are few things worse than feeling stuck in slow motion – with nothing flowing in or out. This could lead to the unnecessary release of tension and negative emotions which would not mean good news for the positive work culture you’re trying to build.

What’s the solution? Always add value. Look for great ways to add value to your employee’s lives and yours in the workplace. Google looks to providing its employees with free food and free lectures that positively impact their lives and you could do the same. Try sending employees for short courses to take on new roles in the office or issuing grants so they can achieve some personal goals like buying land or completing their education.

Adding value to your employees is at the very core of creating a positive company culture and without it, you would probably have a hard time achieving set goals. So, whether you’re creating fun new activities for your employees or promoting a positive attitude in the office, the key is to make your company feel valued to produce valuable work.