The Ultimate Guide to a Great Company Culture

Ever wondered why some companies can keep employees around for ages while others’ turnover rates outpace their hiring? Sure, the dollar signs on employees’ paychecks are a factor, but their everyday experiences largely contribute to how long they stick around too.?

Fostering a positive company culture can help you create an environment where employees are excited to show up every day. In this article, you’ll learn all about building a great retail company culture that helps your employees do – and be – their best.

What is Company Culture?

Company culture refers to the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of a company’s employees, managers, and leaders. It both shapes and is the result of a business’s day-to-day operations and how employees and shoppers feel while interacting with the company. It includes operational elements such as brand messaging, company values, customer service policies, and the business’s mission statement. A positive workplace culture at a small company and a large business alike may be shaped by the leadership of a kind business owner, a team that respects work-life balance, and leadership that listens to and acts on employee feedback.

Why is a Strong Company Culture Important?

The right company culture can benefit your business in many ways, both internally and externally. A Quantum Workplace survey found that 87 percent of employees who are highly engaged at work?say their companies have very strong cultures . When employees see managers promoting certain business values, they might consciously or subconsciously follow suit.?

A good company culture also gives employees common objectives to work toward. In fact, employees whose values closely align with your company’s are more likely to perform well. A great company culture makes these values apparent so employees can identify with them and further nurture them.

For others outside your company, a strong company culture shows that your business has clear direction and values. It gives them an idea of what they can expect when shopping with your company. It’s also heavily reflected in your business’s customer service. For example, if your produce shop prides itself on transparency, customers know they can trust how you source natural fruits and veggies. A great company culture, whether you work for a small company or a large corporation, can have a significant impact on customers’ positive experiences with your business – and encourage them to come back.

What are the Components of a Healthy Company Culture?

1. Clear and open communication

Communication is key to keeping employees connected and aware of the company’s expectations. Open and clear communication sets clear standards for how employees should be performing and shows them the value they bring to your company. It also makes employees feel like they can approach you and other managers with questions, concerns, and feedback requests.

2. Teamwork

Companies are full of people who each contribute to your organization in some way. That includes the baker mixing ingredients for the day’s sweets, the cashier making light conversations with customers, and the CEO in the back office. The more your company fosters collaboration among these people through a strong workplace culture, the better your team’s working relationships can be.

You’ll likely see the effects of your strong company culture pretty quickly. The more your business encourages teamwork, the more your cashier will gladly jump in to help the baker move a large donut tray between shelves. This can create a positive feeling of unity among your team members.?

3. Respect

Conflict is a regular part of everyday life, and it occurs in even the healthiest work environments. It’s how people handle that conflict that makes all the difference. A company culture that prioritizes respect can help you reshape conflict into opportunities for growth and new ideas.

A company that values respect enforces it among employees?and?leadership. Your leadership should exemplify respect in all interactions, including the relationship between managers and how managers interact with other employees. With a core of respect in your company, your team knows they can have disagreements, but their priority will be to respect each other throughout.

4. Trust among employees

Trust is a sign that your employees can rely on each other. When employees work independently, you signal to them that you trust them. That’s huge – no employee wants to feel like you’re holding their hand all day or checking on them every chance you get.

For example, if an employee is struggling to complete a project or needs feedback on some ideas, she can trust that her colleague will help her and provide honest answers. A high level of trust within your company helps employees work together, encouraging motivation, engagement, and productivity at every level.

Employees whose company culture prioritizes trust are more likely to feel like they belong on the team, and that’s only good news for their work. It also feeds into healthy communication, as team members can freely ask for help and share ideas.

5. Effective decision-making

Your leadership team shouldn’t be the only people making decisions. A positive company culture encourages employees at?all?levels – not just those at the top – to make the best decisions for their work.

Many great business culture ideas hinge on giving your team the tools they need to make good decisions and letting them do the rest. Trusting your employees’ decision-making shows that you value their approaches and trust them to make the right call. That’s much healthier than micromanaging or “helicopter bossing” your team.

6. Individual goal-setting

Let your employees lead the goal-setting conversation. This can encourage team members to be more accountable for their personal development. Researchers have found that?employees who set goals for themselves ?are typically more proactive.

These team members often have a clearer path for how they’ll achieve growth, and that can give them more motivation. Plus, setting their own goals allows them to grow however they feel is best, giving them a greater sense of autonomy.

7. Employee engagement

Engagement is a clear indicator of how excited your team is to be a part of your company and do their work. Employees who are highly engaged are working for much more than just a paycheck. They enjoy the value, growth, and social and professional connections their work brings.

A team full of engaged employees benefits you too. How great does it feel to be around other people who truly enjoy their company and the work they do? This is why your company’s culture is closely intertwined with your employee engagement.

8. Transparency between managers and employees

Transparency can create a working environment where employees, leaders, and managers are all connected. It contributes to trust, employee morale, and positive performance. With a high level of transparency in place, new employees can feel comfortable coming into your office and asking a question. They’ll know they can get the answers they need with no smokescreens.

How to Create a Strong Company Culture

Set attainable, actionable goals

Fostering a great small company culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s guided and deliberate. Setting specific goals can give you actionable ways to improve your company’s culture.

Skip over vague ideas and dive into detailed approaches that will help take your company in the right direction. Simply saying “we value trust and transparency” doesn’t?actually?roll those business values into your company’s everyday operations. Instead, implementing actual practices into your everyday operations — and setting the tone as the business owner —?can help your goals become central to your business.

Goal-oriented small business culture examples include focusing on employee collaboration and improving communication. To do this, you might decide to host a team get-together every other month. This way, your employees can build relationships with each other.?

To increase trust and transparency, you might implement an open-door policy and emphasize that you welcome any respectful questions. With these practices in place, you’ve set up realistic ways to achieve your goals and establish a healthy company culture.