Cost-effective Ways to Build a Healthy Company Culture

Company culture is a buzz term that has been increasing in usage and power over the past several years. People are now making decisions about whether they’ll work at a company based on what they know about the culture. This makes sense, as the concept of work-life balance is changing as technology advances and people spend more and more of their lives working.

(Image Source: Megaprint Office Wallpaper)

Organizations that build an inclusive and healthy office culture reap the benefits that come with having engaged employees. Employees who feel valued work harder and invest themselves into their company’s brand.

But building culture isn’t always easy. Some startups feel that if they don’t have the monetary resources for expensive break room features or other incentives for employees, then they can’t build a culture worth talking about. This, of course, couldn’t be further from the truth. Below are some cost-effective ways your company can promote a healthy, fun office culture that will attract the employees you need.

Grant Autonomy

A healthy company culture is one of trust. In order to build a trust-filled environment, you have to start by trusting your employees. Allow them to build their workflows according to how they can be most efficient. Don’t make pointless rules and regulations that only serve to limit people. Ask for feedback and reward all employees concerns and suggestions with the consideration they deserve. If you make it clear that you trust your employees, they’ll trust you as well. This is the biggest step for keeping valuable employees around for the long-term.

Give Employees Ownership of Their Space

When people feel trusted, they feel valued. Another part of being valued is being in an environment where you have some facet of control. This could mean being able to decorate your workspace however you like. In businesses where employees don’t have individual offices or desks, it could mean being designated a personal space like cubbies or storage lockers.

Another way to give employees ownership of their space is to include them in conversations about building changes. If you’re having the carpet replaced or the walls repainted, put together a quick survey with some choices for employees to choose from.  If the office fridge is a problem, host discussions on what the whole team can do to fix it. Give people ownership of their space and they’ll not only feel valued, but they’ll take better care of their environment.

Pay Attention to the Physical Environment of the Office

When you create an environment where people care about their company and their space, you have to take care of that space to show you care about the employees. If you allow broken appliances to lie around taking up space or dead lightbulbs to remain unchanged, employees will think that you don’t care about the building, so why should they? Here are some easy office maintenance steps to show employees you value their space and comfort.

  • Have old printers and computers taken away by an electronics recycling company that will dispose of everything properly. Make sure the janitorial staff 
  • Add plants to the space to bring in some of the outdoors.
  • If any doors or windows are broken or unsecure, have them fixed quickly. Even squeaky hinges should be fixed in a timely manner.

These are just a few ways you can build a thriving company culture without having to spend a lot of money on gimmicks. What are your favorite ways to promote your brand’s culture? Share in the comments!

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