How to create a positive work culture
The work culture of an organization can have a positive or negative impact on employee wellbeing, motivation and productivity in the workplace. It's therefore important to invest in creating a healthy work culture in your company so that both you and your employees get the most out of your collaboration.
In this article, we will explore what work culture is and what you can do to create a positive work culture in your company where employees thrive and feel safe and valued on a daily basis.
What is work culture?
Work culture is the values, priorities, norms and beliefs that guide employees in their relationships and interactions in the workplace. A positive work culture is one where employees feel valued, safe and comfortable, and where they have ample opportunity to develop.
In Danish work culture, employees typically have a lot of influence in their daily work. Managers generally encourage their employees to take responsibility and make their own decisions. Employees in Denmark are therefore typically very independent and self-driven, giving them ample opportunity to help create the positive work culture they want to see.
A positive work culture increases employee productivity. Therefore, to ensure the well-being and success of both your employees and your business, it's important to invest in your work culture.
5 steps to creating a positive work culture
1
Focus on employee retention
Many of us change jobs significantly more often than we used to. If we want to move up the ladder and earn a higher salary, we often feel compelled to change jobs. However, employee turnover can quickly become costly for companies - not only for the bottom line, but also for employee safety and well-being.
It is therefore extremely important that you make an active effort to retain your talented employees so that together you can create a stable workplace and a healthy work culture.
There are several things you can do to boost employee retention. You can:
- Make sure to align expectations during recruitment.
- Practice open communication and ensure a steady flow of information from management to employees.
- Increase your focus on the professional and professional development of your employees.
- Offer greater flexibility in employees' working lives.
- Work to recognize and reward your employees for their good work.
Read more about how you can work with these initiatives in our article here.
2
Boost employee engagement
Having employees who are engaged in their workplace is a crucial factor for a positive work culture. Engaged employees also create significantly better business results. For example, a Gallup study shows that engaged employees have a 41% lower absenteeism rate and are 17% more productive.
To strengthen employee engagement in your company, you can:
- Ask employees directly how engaged they feel in the workplace and what it would take to increase their engagement.
- Hire and develop great leaders who care about employee wellbeing in the workplace and are at the forefront of creating a positive work culture.
- Ensure managers have the resources they need to recruit the right people and build effective, motivated and engaged teams that work well together.
- Set clear, achievable and meaningful goals together that empower employees to influence their own, their team's and the company's development.
3
Strengthen individual communication between managers and employees
As mentioned above, communication is an essential factor when it comes to retaining employees - and the same goes for developing a healthy work culture.
It's about keeping employees updated on company news, but also creating a culture where employees regularly discuss their goals and successes with their line manager.
To strengthen individual communication with employees, you can:
- Introduce individual conversations between each employee at least every six months.
- Regularly ask employees how they are doing in the workplace.
- Make sure you're accessible so employees know they can always come to you with questions, issues and concerns.
- Empathize and let employees know that you appreciate them communicating openly with you and that you will support them in solving the challenges and issues they face in the workplace.
4
Give employees a central role in the onboarding process
Your work culture should be evident from the first day new employees walk through your doors. To create a positive work culture that leaves no doubt that your new employees have come to the right place, it's important that your current employees are involved in the recruitment process.
It's a good idea to introduce a buddy system - a system where employees take turns playing a key social role in the onboarding of new colleagues. A buddy typically has tasks such as inviting the new colleague on walks, answering questions about the workplace and helping the new hire get to know the company and other employees better.
The purpose of the scheme is to give the new employee a social anchor in the workplace from day one. At the same time, you give your current employees a greater influence on the work culture and the opportunity to communicate it directly to their new colleague. In this way, you also support transparency, communication and collaboration between team members within the company.
5
Support socializing in the workplace
All employees should feel safe and welcome in the workplace. An essential part of ensuring this is supporting social interaction and giving employees the opportunity to make new relationships in the workplace.
There are several ways your company can help create better opportunities for socializing among employees. For example, in addition to summer parties and Christmas lunches, you could introduce an annual event where all employees are invited to participate in cross-departmental team building activities.
It's also a good idea to set aside a budget for social activities each quarter and encourage each team to organize social events outside of work hours at the company's expense. This way, you can show employees that your company sees their socializing as an important investment in the workplace culture.
Want to join LEAD at the Attractive Workplace conference?
The conference begins with a presentation that presents the holistic model for the attractive workplace. It also explains why the holistic model for the attractive workplace cannot stand alone, but must be complemented by a focus on the 'innovative workplace' that adapts the organization to a future with rising expectations and fewer employees. Next, we take an in-depth look at selected factors in the holistic model of the attractive workplace and the innovative workplace.
