How to Build Company Culture and Create a Workplace Community

By Kori Whitby

5 signs of a strong company culture 💪

What exactly does a company stand to gain by building a company culture?

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1. Employee Retention: When employee engagement is high, and staff feels in line with the company’s mission statement, they are likely to stay around for longer. This fosters a deep connection between employees and makes for a better, more productive output of work.
   

2. Job satisfaction: Job satisfaction is an important factor in helping employees find a healthy work/life balance and avoid burnout.
   

3. Employee morale: Positive company culture means happier employees. Which, as a benefit to your company means team members being more engaged in their job with a higher quality of work.
   

4. Work performance: Speaking of higher quality of work, positive company culture will improve employee performance overall.
   

5. Collaboration: The best ideas and initiatives and ideas are born out of strong collaboration. When your organizational culture rewards and encourages collaboration, everyone wins.

Now that we’ve gone over the benefits of building company culture, let’s get into the “how.” Spoiler: it’s not as complicated as it may seem.
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4 ways to build your workplace community 👷

So, your company has started to talk the talk. How do you walk the walk? Read on to learn how to make a workplace community a reality.

If you approach someone who feels at-peace in their career, you will find that they have high levels of trust in their employer and are proud to be a part of the company culture. 

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You might also find that:
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• They feel clear on what's expected of their role and what work is required to grow in their career. Because employees feel confident in this knowledge, they remain engaged in the work.
  
  
• The mission of the organization resonates with their values and they feel proud to be associated with it.
  
  
• Their supervisors trust their judgment and vice versa. They feel empowered to share ideas, concerns, and questions. In return, they feel much more inclined to listen to their supervisors.
  
  
• They have open communication with both their own team and other departments.
  
  
• They’re not made to feel embarrassed or burdensome for asking a question or sharing a suggestion. They even have the energy to return the favor to employees in other departments.
  
  
• They like their job so much that they actually encourage trusted friends and former co-workers to apply.

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The difference between the people who are completely satisfied in their career and the people who are looking for a new position is trust and respect. Those who find that they don’t trust their team leaders or organization are often the first to be on the job market.

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1. Core values that reflect your culture 🪞

As a company it’s important to be clear as to what are non-negotiable values and what are aspirational values. Employees can, in turn, decide which company values are non-negotiable for them. 

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For example, if diversity is a non-negotiable for someone on the job hunt– they will be looking for companies who have that woven into their core values.

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Core values shouldn’t just be what’s printed on the posters in the break room. If open communication is a core value of a company, this should be evident to the stakeholders, customers, and employees. There should also be a plan in place for how the company moves forward after it has not honored one of the core values.

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Here are a few tips for shaping your values:

• Be specific
• Brainstorm with team members
• Consider your audience
• Allow your mission to define your values
• Be authentic
• Incorporate your core values into every part of the company

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If you find that your company has made a mistake or lost track of its core values, don’t feel ashamed. This is a natural part of growth. The best thing you can do is refocus on your mission and vision with your team, and make sure that your core values are reflected moving forward.

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2. Trust in the workplace 🤝

Employees that feel like they can trust their team are more likely to demonstrate initiative and loyalty. And while it’s true that trust is earned, there are a few things that you can do to earn it from all of your employees:
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• Listen more than you speak
• Take criticism and show that you’ve learned from it
• Be consistent
• Be transparent

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3. Meaningful work relationships 👯

Employees who have formed meaningful workplace relationships have greater longevity within the company, are better collaborators, and improve overall company productivity. 

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When it comes to forming the kinds of work relationships that create a positive impact, consider the following:
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• Know when to ask for help. Accept help when it is offered.
• Keep your commitments.
• Ask questions from a place of curiosity. Listen to the answers.
• Appreciate each individual team member.
• Set aside intentional time to get to know other employees.

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Whether your workplace is remote, hybrid, or comprised of employees who value their free time, having the option to engage with other members of the team in enjoyable ways is a huge advantage. 

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At Confetti, we make team building easy (and a lot more fun) with our virtual team building activities.

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4. An inclusive work environment 🧩

If diversity is about who’s at the table, inclusion means that everyone has something that they can eat. To make inclusion a reality in the workplace, you will want to focus on:

• Celebrating employees’ differences.
• Have we mentioned listening yet? Listen to employees!
• Communicate your company’s goals surrounding inclusion and report on progress often.

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The Confetti culture 🥳

Creating a company culture that means that employees want to clock in each day takes work. Companies that invest in creating a workplace built on trust, shared values, and mutual respect can expect a happier, healthier, and more productive output and employee experience.

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At Confetti, we want to help you find the best way to align your team building initiatives with your values, culture, and growth. (Read about how Confetti helped Lemonade build community.) Although we always offer you the opportunity to book an event in 5 minutes or less, we’re also here to talk. 

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If you want to learn how to boost company culture through shared experience, reach out to [email protected] today!

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