How To Change A Company Culture

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Company culture determines a company’s core values and beliefs. It will also determine how employees will interact with each other. It can determine how successful a company is.

It’s important that your company culture reflects the company properly. If your company culture does not reflect your core values, you can change your company culture so it better aligns with those beliefs and values.

In this article, we will go over what company culture is, how to change it, and the benefits of good company culture.

Key Takeaways:

• Company culture will be determined by shared beliefs, values, and attitudes of employees.

• Be sure to communicate with your employees and teams about the changes to company culture.

• Change won’t happen overnight, and it can take time for employees to adjust to policy changes, new values, and beliefs.

• A positive company culture will improve employee morale which creates happier and healthier employees.

What Is Company Culture?

Company culture is the generally shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and overall interactions by employees within a company. The culture will be defined by company policies, employee behaviors, and the work environment. Things that will influence company culture include:

• Leadership and management styles

• Company traditions

• Company goals

• Benefits and perks

• Opportunities to advancement

• Company policies

• Expectations

• Local and national government policies

How to Change Company Culture

1. Identify and clarify goals. A company should have clear and defined goals to be successful. Your first step to changing your company culture is to create or reevaluate your goals. You should also include the company’s mission statement and who you want your target audience to be.

   Your goals and mission statement will also help your customers understand who you are as a company and what you stand for. The goals will also help guide your employees and their success.

2. Revisit company core values. As a company grows, the core values that the company started with may not align with the company anymore. While you are revisiting your company’s core values, create new ones to replace any that no longer align with your goals.

   Your new values should be inclusive and authentic to what the company is like now. These values should be practiced by all employees. You should be able to see the values in the day-to-day activities of your employees.

3. Understand the current culture. You should understand what the current culture is like and what the positives and negatives are. Take the time to observe your employees and the environment, and this will allow you to know what is working and what is not working.

4. Make a plan. After you identify your goals and values, it’s time to create a plan and establish a timeline for the change. The phases and steps that you create to execute the plan will determine how much of your company culture is being changed.

   You should involve all the department heads, managers, and HR departments when creating this plan. This will allow them to provide feedback and make any changes if necessary. During this stage, you should determine the benchmarks to track the progress.

5. Communicate. Communication is the key to a successful company. You should be transparent with your employees and honest with your customers. Having successful communication will make employees happier and more engaged with their work.

6. Invest in training and education for employees. Investing in your employees will be one of the most effective ways to improve company culture. Offer effective programs to keep your employees on track.

7. Maximize motivators. You should know and understand what motivates your employees. This will allow you to have opportunities that they are looking for. You should also be offering your employees support. Employees who feel supported and have strong relationships with their employers will be engaged and happy.

   Employees are often the ones who will change company culture the most, so it’s important to keep them happy and satisfied by keeping them motivated.

Benefits of a Good Company Culture

Having a good company culture will allow your employees to be comfortable and supported at work. This allows for many benefits. Some benefits of a good company culture include the following:

• Happier and healthier employees. A good company culture will result in less burnout and stress among employees. Employees will also feel more supported and appreciated. This will help improve their work-life balance and will result in happier and healthier employees.

• Higher productivity. When employees enjoy and are satisfied with their job, they will be more engaged. This results in higher productivity levels. They will show up to work on time, take fewer sick days, and be more motivated to reach their goals.

• Helps recruit top talent. A positive work culture will attract top talent to your company. Having things such as career growth opportunities and great benefits and perks will draw top talent to your company.

  Just as recruiters are searching for the perfect candidate, candidates are also searching for the right company. Company culture will be one of the deciding factors because candidates want to work in a positive and healthy work environment.

• Higher retention rates. Keeping your employees around for a long time reduces hiring and training costs for your company. Having employees stick around will also improve overall morale. Employees will feel like managers will appreciate them more, and they will be happier at their job.

• Improve customer satisfaction. Your employees play a big role in customer satisfaction. Happier employees who stay with the company for a longer time will allow them to create relationships with customers. Customers will want to keep coming back when they know who they are dealing with.

  Customers can often tell when a company has a negative company culture. They are able to gauge it through their employee interactions. Dealing with new employees every time customers come back can also indicate to the customer when there is negative company culture.

• Increased revenue. When customers are more satisfied with a company, they are more likely to return and make more purchases. They like dealing with happy employees. Happy employees will also be more productive. All of this results in increased revenue and profits.

• Creates a positive reputation. Your reputation is more than just the advertising that is released. Company culture plays a big role when it comes to your reputation. If employees don’t like the culture, they will often talk badly about the company.

  Negative comments from employees can circulate and get back to customers. This can make you lose business, and it will create a negative reputation.

Tips for Changing Your Company Culture

• Talk to employees. Your employees will help give you a better understanding of your current company culture and what needs to be improved. Talking to them will also give you an idea of where the collective agreement is when it comes to policy and procedures.

  Having open communication will also build more trust between you and your employees.

• Start hiring candidates who align with new values. After creating a plan to change your company culture, you should change how you hire employees. You should talk with your recruitment department and change the questions that will be asked to candidates. These questions should relate back to your new goals and values.

• Highlight positive behaviors. The best way to change the behaviors of your employees is to highlight the positive behaviors that you want.

  They should be showing behavior that aligns with your new values and goals. It may take some time for everyone to know and understand these new values; that’s why transparency and communication are important.

• Get regular feedback. Get feedback from your employees once you start making changes to your company culture. Set regular check-ins, either weekly, biweekly, or monthly. This will also allow you to track progress.

• Take it slow. Change won’t happen overnight. It’s important to remember that it can take time to change your company culture. Give your employees and managers enough time to get used to the new beliefs and practices.

Changing Company Culture FAQ

1. Can company culture change?

   Yes, company culture can be changed. Your company culture will change over time. Change happens over time when you hire new employees or make changes to your values and goals. Change to company culture will take time and can be difficult to do when it’s not done right.

2. Is rebranding the same as changing company culture?

   No, rebranding is not the same as changing company culture. While they are similar, rebranding will change its external appearances, such as a new logo or new products. A company culture change will be changing internal practices such as the company’s mission or values.

3. What is a negative workplace culture?

   A negative workplace is an environment where employees are not respected or valued by their employers. A negative workplace culture can become a toxic work environment if not handled properly. Signs of a negative workplace culture include:

   • High absenteeism rate

   • High employee turnover

   • Low employee morale

   • Unfriendly competition

   • Low employee satisfaction

Final Thoughts

Your company culture is a significant part of what makes your company great. It’s a part of your company brand, so it’s important to take the necessary steps to keep your company culture up-to-date with your current company values.

References

1. Harvard Business School – To Change Your Company’s Culture, Don’t Start by Trying to Change the Culture

Author

Taylor Berman

Taylor is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania. Taylor got into writing because she enjoys writing articles that help people and loves creating stories that inspire. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations with an interest in communications media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.