Company culture may not lead you to turn down a job, but it is an important trait for a business to identify, as more and more employees are valuing work-life balance and a collaborative environment more than ever. Point blank: having a happy and supportive workplace environment can impact everything from your productivity to satisfaction to creativity, and more and more brands are endeavoring to create this.
So, what happens when you think the company culture needs a little TLC, but you’re not the boss? Even if you’re not in a leadership position, there are still ways to impact life at work in order to make everyone more excited about his or her jobs each day.
Research How Other Brands Set Company Culture
Before trying to shift the company culture, do some research. What brands are known for their enviable cultures and know how to do things the right way? What components make it so strong? How did they achieve this? Consider the different cultures at these companies, and compare yours before trying to imitate another company’s strategy. What ideas can you implement? What ideas can you build on?
Organize A Social Committee
Take the steps to put together a social committee, planning regular outings like monthly dinners or volunteer events, scheduling a happy hour after work or even just putting together a social media page where people from the office can connect. If you want work to be about more than just work, remind people about why that’s true. Some important things to consider? Always remember birthdays and individual milestones, like how long a person’s been with the company, or their work anniversary. A cake and card can go a long way in showing respect and gratitude towards a coworker.
Communicate Ideas And Needs With HR
If there are problems at work that could interfere with implementing a more positive company culture — or even just minor things that everyone complains about — act as a liaison with HR. The HR department is there to help, but just might not be aware of what’s going on. You can also bring back their responses to your team so they feel that their concerns are being addressed.
Set The Tone
Changing a company culture starts small, and you’re the person who’s going to start it. Bring the positive attitude you hope others will share to work. Not sure where to start? Fostering positive dialogue and conversations, rather than complaining, can start to reverse a toxic situation. However, don’t let people feel like they can’t vent or complain — a good venting session can help clear the air and allow for growth. You might not be the boss, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have influence and can’t make an impression in other ways.
Start Building Relationships
At work, it can be easy to treat our coworkers like, well, coworkers. We exchange brief hello’s, some small talk and do the normal networking around the office, but don’t necessarily foster building relationships beyond that. Take the time to try and get to know the people in your office, whether that’s their favorite sports team or the name of their cat. When someone’s having a hard time, reach out to them, offer advice or just provide a sounding board so they can get something off their chest.
Lead image via Getty