Are you happy with the culture at your company? In March, I laid out two of the qualities that make up a great work culture. This month, I’ll cover the last three qualities: training, recognition, and communication.
TRAINING
Some of us have wondered why employees leave our company or fail. Often, this has been due to our lackluster approach to training. Successful companies have extensive ongoing training programs. This may include a mixture of technological, physiological, and psychological training. The best companies have this mapped out not for just the first 90 days, but for an extended period of time. Training is not seen as punishment or something just for the new hire at successful companies. It is something each team member welcomes as they want to move forward and become better. Great companies offer steady and continuous training to all employees through several avenues. These include one-on-one training, peer-to-peer collaborative training, and group training, but are not limited to solely in-house training. Your people should be your largest investment and biggest commodity. Proper training for all aspects of their jobs will help with retention, improved productivity, and overall employee engagement, thus affecting your bottom line. I like the phrase, “Train your employees, so they could leave; treat them well, so they never want to leave.”
RECOGNITION
Is your way of rewarding your employees the paycheck on Friday? Do they know how much you appreciate their above-and-beyond efforts? What separated the good from great companies is the ability to provide recognition and rewards to their employees for their performance. Many employees have reported that disengagement and a negative work culture was created when they felt like their extended efforts went unnoticed or underappreciated. Recognition is often an overlooked motivator when it comes to success. A simple “congratulations” or “thank you” goes a long way and improves employee morale, contributing to a great positive culture. Offering rewards does not always have to be monetary, but can include incentive- or performance-based pay plans. Companies with great culture know what motivates their employees, and they use that knowledge to offer customized rewards. The rewards could be an extra company outing or party, paid time off, public recognition, and opportunity for advancement. They may also include increased benefits such as company-sponsored charitable events, gym memberships, increased 401k contributions, or subsidized healthcare. Great company culture addresses shortcomings and failures swiftly, but doesn’t forget to reward the positive. Remember, you get what you focus your attention on.
COMMUNICATION
Companies with a positive culture have consistent, clear, and concise communication. They are clear when delivering goals and expectations to their employees. This includes individual, department, and company goals that are transparent. They also give constant feedback with regard to performance. They encourage their employees to collaborate sharing ideas, finding solutions to problems, and taking ownership of their role with regards to the company’s success. They foster an open-door policy and encourage honest yet respectable feedback from all levels within the company. Communication is not limited to just the bad news. Remember bad news fast, good news often; this is the norm within companies that foster great culture.
Publication date: 5/3/2017
