When starting a company, most entrepreneurs are so fixated on perfecting the details of their product or service offering that they don’t take the time to define their overall business culture. These entrepreneurs don’t realise that the culture of a business is just as important as their offering; and that often it’s the company’s culture that determines whether it’s a success or a failure.

A positive business culture has been proven to increase productivity, employee morale and the business’ ability to keep their most skilled workers. So, taking the time to define and create a positive business culture isn’t an option for today’s business owner, it’s a necessity.

Step 1: Define your business brand

It’s important to take some time to consider the kind of organization that you want to have and create a clear vision statement around this. Laying the foundation for a positive workplace culture will inform everything that your business does in the future and gives your employees a single vision to work toward. 

Step 2: Find the right employees

Employees can make or break a business by taking its vision to the next level. While hiring, look for candidates with the right attitude that fits with your organisation culture. Ask questions to determine how they handle conflict in the workplace and interact with others. Ensure existing staff are also invested in your positive company culture as negative employees can quickly destroy your positive culture.

Step 3: Listen to your employees

Employee-employer feedback is one of the most important factors in creating a positive company culture, yet it remains underused in most companies. Ensure your employees are happy in their role by making a point of regularly asking them for their opinion on their role at your company. Welcome all feedback – both positive and negative, and act upon their opinions to show them that their opinions matter to you.

Step 4: Engage your employees

Communication is only effective if it’s a two-way street. Consider opening the lines of communication in your company by sharing overall business goals and financials with your employees. Talk to your employees about your expectations of them and how they can help your business reach its’ organisational goals and make sure that they understand their overall place in the organisation. This eliminates confusion and creates a more open culture in your business where employees are more likely to care about its success.

Step 5: Reward your employees

Employees appreciate receiving recognition for the work they have done. If your employee has had a positive impact on your business, be sure to tell them so. If you don’t, they are often left feeling undervalued and unappreciated. Simply thank your employees for their effort or take it a step further and put a reward system in place to incentivise high performance.

Attracting the best candidates is only the start. Use your business culture to keep these employees invested, interested and performing well in their role.