How to Establish Your Company Culture

As a small business owner, you are likely wearing a lot of different hats. Managing, growing, and marketing the business tends to rank highly on the list of tasks for those running organizations. However, when you start bringing on new employees to manage the workload, it’s critical to ensure that the culture is supportive. Although company culture may not rank highly on your to-do list, it should move toward the top due to its importance. Culture can make or break an employee’s experience, which is why we’re digging into how to establish company culture in your small business.

Understanding Company Culture

A healthy company culture is a fundamental building block of a successful organization. Whether the culture happened by accident or was intentionally designed and implemented, it is there. Some of the factors that play into the overall culture include expectations for leaders and employees, the company’s mission and values, styles of leadership, and decision-making processes.

The employees also play into the overall culture, including how they interact with one another. The physical workspace also comes into play, along with daily operations and customer interactions. With a positive culture, a business can more easily attract top talent and keep them around for longer. According to a Glassdoor survey, over three-fourths of jobseekers consider the culture before applying for a role with a company. More than half believe that the overall atmosphere is more important than salary.

What Type of Culture Do You Want?

Taking a proactive approach to company culture starts with the owner of the business. What do you want your culture to look like? Do you want it to be based on the values of the business, or adhere more strongly to the overall mission? Review several types of organizational cultures to get ideas.

Understanding what a positive culture looks like in your industry may also require some research. You can review what toxic traits cause employees to leave their employers in search of a more supportive or inclusive atmosphere.

As you identify what matters to you and your employees, you can then take the steps to establish the culture that supports those needs and wants.

How to Establish Company Culture in 4 Steps

Review these four steps that outline how to establish company culture in a way that benefits all involved.

Define the values and mission

If you don’t know what the goal of the company is, it’s nearly impossible to create a culture that works toward shared success. Start your process by defining the mission, then identify what values will help contribute to reaching the goals.

Think about what makes your company unique and identify ways to incorporate those factors into your mission statement and values.

Request input

If you already have employees, ask them to share what they care most about and how they want the culture to feel at work. They may be able to offer insights into what the culture is currently like and where it could be improved. Team interactions also provide insight into how employees work together. If you want to keep it anonymous, create a survey and compile the results to review together.

Offer opportunities for employee improvement

When employees can strengthen their skills or learn new ones, progress in their jobs, and achieve professional success, they are more likely to stay with the company. Look for ways that your team members can grow and develop, whether through mentorships, access to professional development workshops or even fun events that allow employees to interact with members of the leadership team regularly.

Outline expectations

Employees must understand the expectations for culture shifts to actually take place. After all, everyday interactions influence the atmosphere of the workplace far more than what’s written on the walls. Make sure all employees, existing and newly hired, understand the expectations regarding their behavior and performance. Provide ongoing education and feedback to maintain consistent interactions and a supportive culture.

By taking these steps, you’re setting your organization on a path toward long-term success. Building a positive culture in a small business isn’t just “nice to have”; it’s essential for ensuring that employees feel valued and aligned with the overarching goals. As your business grows and changes, so should your cultural initiatives. Now is the time to invest in the principles and people that will propel the business forward.

Missed one of our previous how-to for small business owner posts? Check out a few here:

• How to Improve Customer Service
• Adapting to Change: How to Pivot Your Business Model for Success
• How to Fund a Business