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Company culture: how to attract and retain staff

In a tough job market, finding the right people to join your company can be a challenge. There may be job seekers out there with the skillset you are looking for, but perhaps they don’t quite match your company culture – and that’s important.

But while you may be looking for an employee whose values align with those of your company, potential employees are doing the same thing. Job seekers are becoming more particular about finding a company that operates to a set of values, looks after their staff, has a community footprint and has a solid belief in what they do.

Today’s job seekers want a healthy work/life balance. They want flexibility but at the same time they want to be challenged. They want their professional development to be a priority and they want to know their work effort contributes to something worthwhile.

This means, as a company wanting to attract top talent, you need to evaluate and clearly define your core purpose.

• What kind of company culture do you have?
• Why do your staff come to work each day?
• Are your company values widely understood by your staff?
• Does what you do and what you ask your staff to do have meaning?
• Do you really know how your employees feel about their work environment?

The answers to these questions can be the solution to attracting and retaining good staff.

Improving your organisational culture

So how do you go about improving your company culture and making it a place where good employees want to work and, most importantly, don’t want to leave? The success of a company culture revolves around three Cs: communication, collaboration and celebration.

1.Communication
Communication is at the core of how we exist – with our family, our friends, our work colleagues and our clients. But it’s no longer enough to simply communicate; you need to communicate effectively. For many companies, the primary focus is on external communication. That’s communication with customers and clients – both existing and prospective. Often, internal communication falls by the wayside, but your employees are your company’s ambassadors so it’s vital you communicate with them too.

• Have daily meetings with your staff – they only need to be 10 minutes, but this means everyone knows what’s happening today and what the focus is.
• Have regular employee reviews – both formal and informal, giving your staff the chance to review your performance and that of the company, as much as you’re reviewing theirs.
• Speak with them rather than email – face-to-face communication produces better results and staff feel more valued.

2.Collaboration
Your staff are your team so treat them as such. Make sure employees have a voice within your company. Speak with them regularly, encourage them to brainstorm ideas, and involve them in long and short-term planning. Collaborating with your employees gives them a sense of ownership. They will also respond well to transparency. Keep them informed of what is happening within the company, what your company’s goals and ambitions are, and how they can help to achieve them.

3.Celebration
Place value on successes within your company and the effort your staff have put into their roles. Recognising commitment will foster it. Host staff social gatherings such as shared morning teas, birthday lunches or Friday afternoon drinks and celebrate achievements. Acknowledge a new client, a successful project, or simply a job well done. Shared endeavours, such as a charity fun walk/run can also foster a sense of community and achievement among staff.

5 benefits of a positive company culture

There are many benefits to establishing a positive company culture:

Teamwork: employees who work well together are proactive and responsive

Productivity: a positive working environment fosters creativity and productivity

Reputation: employees talk – word will soon get out your company is one to work for

Retention: staff who enjoy what they do, and their working environment, will stay

Ambassadors: staff will subconsciously promote your company within their network

Don’t underestimate the importance of defining and publicising your company values and encouraging your staff to uphold them. Fostering an encouraging company culture can be instrumental in attracting
and retaining staff who share those values and enhance the success of your company.