From Feedback to Friendly: Your Guide to Building a Positive Work Culture
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Workplace happiness is about so much more than the duties that are performed. It’s also about fitting in and feeling aligned with the company’s values, vision, and work style. In other words, culture drives corporate success.
Workplace culture – the characteristics that define a company and prescribe how its employees should think, act, and collaborate – is a critical component of an employee’s professional success. It is also critical to the company’s success. When an organization carefully defines and actively works on workplace culture, the business succeeds. Discord can occur when culture is left to its own devices.
Before we go into any further details, let’s look at some important statistics about employee feedback.
- 69% of employees believe they would work harder if they felt their efforts were recognized.
- 39% of employees say they do not feel appreciated at work.
- 65% of employees stated that they desired additional input.
What is workplace culture?
Workplace culture is the general personality of the company. Workplace culture, which is often unique to the organization, can include elements such as the company’s values, beliefs, behaviors, goals, attitudes, and work practices.
Businesses would ideally like to cultivate a positive culture. A corporation could achieve this by emphasizing innovation, flexibility, or empowerment. On the other hand, a company’s culture may be perceived negatively if it is hierarchical, bureaucratic, or power-driven.
What factors influence workplace culture?
Creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture may appear simple on the surface. However, when firms grow and new personalities enter the mix, positivity can rapidly turn to negativity. Any given company’s working culture is influenced by the following factors:
- Management and leadership
Even if they are unaware of it, company executives have a significant impact on workplace culture. Employees in an organization look up to leaders and consider their actions as a model for how they should act. For example, if an organization declares that formal business attire is vital but the leaders seldom dress professionally, it will eventually be viewed as ‘culturally acceptable’ to wear more casual gear. - Value statements and company policies
Organizational vision and purpose statements, as well as the rules that support them, can have an impact on culture if leaders and employees embody and adhere to them. An organization that aspires to be diverse and inclusive, for example, may pursue tactics to attract and retain more diverse employees. These ideals and rules would have a favorable impact on hiring and, as a result, workplace culture.
- Workplace procedures
HR activities like recruitment, onboarding, and promotion can all have a significant impact on workplace culture. Culture is also influenced by reward and recognition programs and employment flexibility regulations. These tactics may result in a family-friendly culture in a company if it offers flexible employee work-life balance options and substantial paternity leave. On the other hand, some organizations may promote an ‘up or out’ mentality in which if you don’t get promoted, you’re urged to leave.
The importance of fostering a positive working culture
Anyone who has worked in a poisonous or negative culture will tell you that it is not a pleasant experience. But why are positive office environments so important? Some of the causes are as follows:
- Employee retention
Regardless of the product or service offered, all businesses require people to function. As a result, people are the most valuable assets in organizations, and maintaining talent is one of the top concerns for most executive teams.Companies that have favorable workplace qualities like great diversity, feedback, and growth and development strategies are considerably more likely to retain talent. These attributes contribute to employee satisfaction at work and motivate individuals to pursue long-term careers with the organization.
- Brand identity
To keep outstanding talent, organizations must first attract it, and workers are often drawn to enterprises with a strong brand identity. A brand identity is how a company is regarded by the public and potential employees, and it can have a significant impact on the positions that an individual applies for. Everyone wants to work for a company that has a positive workplace culture, and such cultures become a part of the brand identity of the company.Culture is important for more than just attracting excellent employees. Outstanding cultures translate into outstanding products and services, which leads to improved company success and a stronger brand identity.
- Employee expectations
Workplace culture is not something that can be seen or even read about by new employees. However, every company has one, and it can have a considerable impact on the expectations of both new and existing employees.For example, suppose you tell a candidate during an interview that your company values work-life balance. However, when the new employee begins work, they notice that everyone around them is working 10- to 12-hour days because that is the prevalent workplace culture. The new employee will quickly come to believe that they, too, are expected to work 10- to 12-hour days.
Problems with workplace culture
Developing and sustaining a positive workplace culture can be difficult. Negative or toxic cultures can emerge on their own if your culture is not defined and constantly worked on. But what is the source of this? Some of the elements that can contribute to cultural problems at workplaces are as follows:
- Established negative workplace attitudes and practices
To be sure, workplace cultures are easier to create than they are to change. This is because any form of change is difficult, especially when it requires changing ingrained behaviors or expectations.Assume you were attempting to go from a bureaucratic culture to a startup one. This would entail completely changing people’s expectations, habits, and work methods, and your new culture might no longer reflect everyone’s ideals. This adjustment may be difficult if personnel have developed negative views while working in the bureaucratic organization over time.
- Multigenerational workplaces
Workplaces have changed dramatically in the previous few decades as a result of the internet and increased globalization. As a result, various generations have different job expectations, which can lead to arguments among coworkers.A common illustration of this is the difference between the expectations of baby boomers (those born in the years following WWII) and those of millennials (those entering adulthood at the beginning of the twenty-first century). Baby boomers typically anticipate work to be hierarchical, and as such, they expect seniority to come with years of experience. Millennials, on the other hand, favor a flatter workplace structure.
- Traditional workplace expectations or practices are changing
Managing change is one of the most difficult tasks that organizations face today. Many organizations are currently undergoing digital transformation, such as replacing a call center or retail with an online experience. Other changes could include a new CEO or a reorganization of departments. These fundamental changes might cause employment disruptions and may necessitate a large-scale shift in attitudes and behaviors. A poisonous workplace culture might develop if not everyone accepts the change.
Read Also: The Best Ways To Build A Strong Culture With A Remote Team
Conclusion
Employee feedback entails exchanging ideas on performance, behavior, and goals. It fosters open communication, boosts morale, and aids professional development, all of which contribute to a positive work culture. Regular feedback fosters trust, improves teamwork, and makes employees feel valued, resulting in a supportive and vibrant work environment.
ProHance is a tool that encourages employee input by establishing a positive feedback loop that improves performance, raises morale, and helps to overall organizational success. Try ProHance to boost the overall growth of your organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can good employee feedback have an effect on the overall workplace culture?
Positive feedback does, indeed, promote a friendly workplace, enhance morale, and contribute to a culture in which everyone feels appreciated and motivated.
Q2. Why is constructive criticism necessary for fostering a positive work environment?
Constructive criticism promotes growth by assisting individuals and teams in learning and improving, hence establishing a culture of continual development.
Q3. What role does regular feedback play in team collaboration?
Regular feedback improves communication, aligns goals, and fosters trust, resulting in a collaborative environment in which everyone works together to achieve success.
