Social media marketer. Agency leader. Author. CEO/Founder of Ignite Social Media and President/Founder of Carusele.
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Why does it matter whether your workplace culture is built on a strong foundation? Why should employers and leaders care? It turns out that culture matters a lot.
Some people think that building workplace culture or employee morale is a somehow altruistic venture—that we do these things to be good people. This ignores the fact that companies with strong workplace cultures actually perform better.
Although it may seem like a luxury, a strong workplace culture is what truly sets companies apart. It’s what humanizes brands and pays real dividends.
Here are seven reasons why building a positive and supportive workplace culture is essential.
1. It Fuels Creativity
At its best, workplace culture can be a powerful tool for breaking down barriers and sparking new ways of thinking. It can create an environment (download required) where employees feel free to take risks, experiment and collaborate.
As a leader, aim to create an environment where new ideas are welcomed, supported and encouraged. Try to instill a sense of pride and ownership in employees and create a culture where everyone is doing their part while working toward the same goals.
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When that happens, amazing things can happen.
2. It Reduces The Risk Of Employee Burnout
According to the American Psychological Association’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey, when employees were asked to choose what forms of support they would like employers to offer, 41% chose flexible hours, while 34% chose a culture that respects time off, 33% chose the ability to work remotely and 31% chose a four-day work week.
It’s safe to say that having a workplace culture that values employees’ well-being helps ensure that they don’t become overwhelmed or overworked—thus reducing the risk of burnout.
3. It Attracts Top Talent
A strong workplace culture is often more attractive to prospective employees than higher pay. People want to work for companies where they feel valued—whether it’s through recognition, respect or the prospect of growth.
Invest in team-building activities, offer meaningful rewards and incentives, and recognize employee achievements publicly—these are all small investments that can help a business build a positive culture.
When employees feel like they’re supported, they’re also more likely to stick with the company, thereby lowering costs associated with turnover.
4. It Creates Engaged Employees
One benefit of a positive workplace culture is increased employee engagement. Employees who feel empowered and valued in their workplace are more likely to be engaged with the organization.
Engaged employees tend to take more ownership of their work, be more productive and be more loyal to the company—all of which benefit the bottom line.
5. It Fosters Innovation
A company that constantly innovates tends to breed more innovation. When the corporate culture rewards those with new ideas, people naturally begin to offer more ideas. In my experience, employees in these environments start looking for new ideas if they feel empowered and valued. They’re also more likely to take risks and make bold decisions when they know that their work is appreciated.
We once presented three concepts to a Fortune 100 brand, one of which was created by an intern. The company bought that intern’s idea, so we gave her a full-time job. It’s powerful when you have a framework where good ideas can come from literally anyone.
To create an environment of innovation, rethink what it means to be someone’s boss. A boss should be there to help people grow, make sure they have the knowledge and experience to contribute workable ideas, and, when needed, decide which way a team is going to go.
But if you create an environment in which the boss’s ideas are executed by the minions, people pick up on that pretty quickly. No one dares tell the boss when one of their ideas isn’t good, and there’s no point thinking from your own perspective. This will completely kill innovation.
6. It Generates A Sense Of Belonging
Organizational culture is just one factor that influences employees’ sense of belonging at work. This is important because according to Gartner, “creating a sense of belonging in the workplace results in greater on-the-job effort and high employee performance.”
7. It Can Lead To Better Leaders
Having a positive workplace culture also can lead to better leaders as workplace stress can cause people, including desired leaders, to decline promotions.
To create a strong culture for honing good leaders, offer training and development opportunities, delegate tasks appropriately and empower those around you to make decisions. Being able to lead by example can help your employees learn how to become better leaders themselves.
Remember, your people are what makes your company, so invest in them.
The Bottom Line
Cultivating a positive workplace culture takes effort and dedication, but the rewards are worth it. And the cost of not doing so, particularly in today’s tight labor market, is extremely high. My guiding principle is to work daily to build the type of company I would like to work for. That principle has helped me many times in deciding where to invest.
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Author: Jim Tobin, Forbes Councils Member
