Immediately, from the first interview it is essential to think about culture fit. It is really important you bring someone into the team that understands the company culture and will ultimately be compatible. Not only will this keep the culture as you want it, but, if the new member of staff does not like the company culture they are more likely to resign, and the whole recruitment process has to start again, costing valuable time and money.
Training and investing time in employees is essential for a strong company culture. If you develop their skills, they will perform better, and be more confident, engaged and motivated to get stuck in to tasks that may have previously daunted them.
Communication is vital! Listen to what your employees’ personal objectives are; where are they struggling and what are they enjoying? This can be done through regular reviews and an open door policy, along with measuring performance to ensure you address any concerns and set objectives to overcome them.
Team building exercises are a great way to get the office integrated. Team building helps breakdown any cliques and creates opportunities for networks and friendships to develop within teams that may not communicate on a daily basis. Team building is also a great way to increase job satisfaction – feeling part of a team is commonly known to create a positive environment and strengthen a workforce.
Setting targets and incentivising employees is a great way to lift office morale. This can be a daily game to create competition and energy in the office, or an overall monthly/yearly target to recognise personal and team successes.
Finally, reward excellence. If a member of the team has over achieved, recognise it! Recognition not only helps improve company culture, but will help retain, engage and motivate staff.
Katrina Whitehead, Marketing & Operations Executive, Foundation Recruitment