Maintaining or Changing Culture as You Grow Your Business

hint? has grown from 60-people to 125-people in six months. That is a massive shift! While change is inevitable (and necessary) with this much growth, in order to be true to who we are, we are also focused on maintaining the culture that has always been at our core.  

There are several ways to ensure your company stays true to its roots while allowing the brand to grow.

Empower Managers  

Managers are the keepers of the culture. Part of their role should be to properly onboard everyone on their team so that they not only feel like they have the tools to succeed in the role they were hired for but also so they feel welcomed and immersed in the company. We don’t expect everyone to do things exactly the same way we do. In fact, we welcome innovation and new ideas and processes. However, if you come in and try to implement a culture that doesn’t vibe with the one that we’ve built, then this may not be the best fit. A manager’s job isn’t finished when they hire someone. Their job is to make sure the new hire is fitting into the environment comfortably, feels empowered to make change when necessary, but understands how to maintain the same tone that is at the foundation of your culture.

For instance, we are very casual at hint. We avoid unnecessary meetings and we appreciate touching base with our colleagues over coffee rather than sitting in a stuffy conference room. If someone faces a challenge or disagreement with another employee, rather than sending long-winded emails they pick up the phone or walk over to their desk to talk things through. Even as the company grows, we like that it still feels like we’re a family. None of this behavior is “policy,” of course, but managers can encourage it simply with leading by example.

Encourage Employees to Cross-Pollinate Across Departments

Another way we maintain our culture is by encouraging people to meet other people inside the organization, not just on their team. That’s how you learn. Be inquisitive. Meet with people on a regular basis. New hires are encouraged to meet with as many people as possible and not only learn what they do, but ask general questions about the company. How does hint work? What are three things that are different about this place than anywhere else you’ve worked? It’s a way of helping people discover the culture for themselves. Some of it is top down teaching. Some of it is bottom up discovery.

Hire People Who Blend with the Culture but Also Bring Fresh Energy

Making the right hires is key to maintaining culture, and is also one of the biggest challenges when a company is growing so quickly. While bringing people on who embody your brand values and feel genuine passion for your mission is important, you also don’t want to keep hiring the same people with the same backgrounds. Finding that balance between employees who mesh well with your culture but also bring new energy and fresh ideas and perspectives is the recipe for success. It ensures you’re maintaining the authenticity of your culture, while also letting it evolve and grow with the company.

Hiring well is an art and it’s a key factor to growing a business quickly. In addition to knowing who fits in well with the DNA of the company, it’s also important for employees walking into a new role to really understand their own needs and ask themselves some important questions. Does this place work for me? Is this a culture I TRULY enjoy? Who do I want to be within this company? The people who thrive—and help our company grow even bigger—are people who have clear and enthusiastic answers to those questions.

When you grow really quickly you have to make sure that everyone has a clear vision of what works and what doesn’t. Set expectations with new employees upfront so there are no surprises. It’s not about forcing culture on anyone. But the people who enjoy the cultural are usually the happiest, and the happiest people are also doing their best work, and ultimately becoming a driver in the company’s continued growth and success.

Kara Goldin is the founder and CEO of San Francisco–based hint, a healthy lifestyle brand that produces the leading unsweetened flavored water and a scented sunscreen spray that’s oxybenzone and paraben-free. Listen to her podcast, Unstoppable, where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and disruptors across various industries and keep up with her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#Leadership #Culture #Growth