Every company wants to create a happy and healthy workplace for employees, but few organizations have endless resources and time. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your culture without straining your bottom line. In fact, starting small can often have the biggest impact.
For more than 25 years at Ultimate Software, we’ve focused on putting people first. Here are a few everyday best practices that have helped us protect our employee-centric culture.
1. Treat Every Employee As An Individual
When HR leaders think about ways to improve their corporate culture, they often consider their people as a collective group. Throwing a companywide party to celebrate a corporate milestone or offering paid service days can certainly have a positive effect on a large number of employees — and both are great for culture. But don’t lose sight of your people as individuals.
No matter what their roles or titles within your company, above all else, your employees are human beings with unique feelings, thoughts and ideas. Every person plays a valuable role in your company’s “big picture” and contributes to your overall success, so don’t treat people as anonymous workers. See them as who they are — commit yourself to caring for them, respecting them and trusting them on a daily basis.
As much as possible, ensure you and your HR team get to know your people on a personal level. Big parties are great, but so is knowing an employee’s son has his first big swim meet after work — and giving that employee the schedule flexibility to experience a milestone family moment. If your company is too big to know everyone on this level, encourage managers to act as extensions of your team (more on this below). These small acts of kindness can have major positive impacts on your people, and will contribute to your overall culture and company morale.
2. Don’t Just Say Thank You — Write It Down
Think about the last time you received a handwritten thank-you note. Not a text, not an email — an actual ink-on-paper note. How did that make you feel? Probably great. No matter the reason for the note, you likely felt valued and respected, maybe even honored.
Taking a little extra time to appreciate your employees this way can leave lasting impressions. It’ll show them you care so much that you took a few extra minutes to show your appreciation on paper. Handwritten notes can boost morale, be that extra “push” an employee needs and even inspire them to write their own “thank you” notes for others who’ve made an impact.
3. Prioritize Your Relationships With Direct Reports
A lot of what makes up a positive company culture comes down to regular communication and quality relationships.
Build a better culture by taking your direct reports to lunch every so often, or grabbing coffee together. Don’t meet — chat. You can learn so much just by talking with someone. Use the more casual environment to ask how your direct report is doing, solicit feedback and get a sense of their workload. Learn more about their goals, both short- and long-term. Getting to know them better as people is a meaningful step in building trust, and employees who trust their managers are ultimately happier and more likely to stay.
Also, it's not just where these conversations take place, but how often. Establish a regular cadence — weekly, bi-weekly or monthly as schedules allow. Trade the once-annual, all-encompassing performance reviews that try to cover everything in one hour (those aren’t fun for anyone!) for an ongoing conversation. This is vital to help virtual employees feel more connected, too.
If you’re worried your direct report won’t open up in a one-on-one situation, try skip-level meetings or “safe” lunch roundtables with peers. A small-group environment can make for a more open conversation.
4. Host A Town Hall For Candid Feedback — And Listen
A town-hall meeting is another simple way to create a forum for sharing feedback and really listening to employees. Even if everything seems to be going well and teams are happy, town halls will give you a chance to build on your strengths and create opportunities for making things even better.
It’s increasingly important for employees to feel they have a voice. Our research shows that 75% of employees are more likely to stay at a company longer if their concerns are heard and addressed.
If you can’t gather everyone together for in-person town halls, consider sending pulse surveys. Today’s HR solutions offer the ability to survey an entire company, ask open-ended questions and analyze feedback and real sentiment instantly.
5. Encourage Companywide Giving And Volunteering
Giving is a core component of our company's culture because it offers opportunities to bond as a team, while supporting valuable causes. For companies with big and small budgets alike, giving time can feel more impactful than spending money on department-wide outings or treats for the office.
A company match on donations is a wonderful option, if your business has the resources available. But giving can also be as simple as organizing team days like a park cleanup, or encouraging people to extend their lunch break for a regular volunteer stint.
As you consider your options, involve your employees in the conversations and let them have a voice. Your people want to know their company cares about more than just business. Our recent study found 85% of employees were more likely to stay with an organization that showed a higher level of social responsibility.
A good culture doesn’t have to break the bank. Extravagant parties and expensive swag aren’t the way to build a lasting culture. Real employee engagement starts with your people — not perks — and with these cost-effective initiatives, you can start making a difference today.
