5 Ways to Maintain Organizational Culture In a Fast-Growing Company was originally published on Ivy Exec.
Growing your brand quickly builds your reputation and allows you to recover your investment. However, it may also cause you to lose core company values. When employees focus on productivity and meeting financial goals, they might forget what the company stands for.
Maintaining your firm’s culture will grow your market. It lets you keep the top employees who have helped your brand grow. Retaining organizational culture also makes the workplace healthier and boosts productivity.
Here are some top strategies for protecting company culture in a fast-growing company.
1️⃣ Focus on Employee Engagement
Corporate culture can easily stunt your brand’s growth if you aren’t consistent. The best way to market and cultivate the company culture is during onboarding.
Have a thorough process to ensure new employees are familiar with the culture and values. Explain the firm’s history and progress while letting them know what you expect from them.
This step will help them understand how the values have shaped the brand’s name. Besides, they will know that you appreciate their contribution towards refining the company’s culture at all growth stages.
Another way to improve engagement is by offering learning opportunities. Your workers will be motivated to maintain your culture if they benefit from it.
Have workshops where employees can learn or improve their skills. Give them access to educational material to help them keep up with industry trends. For example, you can subscribe to a magazine or industry research site and give them access to the provided resources. This will show that you are interested in helping them grow.
Other ways to engage your employees are:
- Building virtual communities
- Asking for their feedback
- Encouraging open communication
- Recognizing their achievements
2️⃣ Be a Great Leader
Many employees look up to their leaders for guidance and inspiration. If you have a positive attitude and respect the workplace culture, they will likely follow. On the other hand, ignoring workplace practices may imply that they don’t matter.
Use your leadership position to motivate employees to maintain workplace culture as the firm grows. Always bring up the brand’s core values during meetings and correct workers who don’t follow them. Remind them about the company’s goals and offer mentorship or guidance.
Upholding the company’s culture can be tough during challenging times. However, employees must understand it’s still important to do so even when the company changes.
Be a good leader and embody the brand’s core values in your daily activities. Be transparent with information and support employees in their roles. Ensure you are respectful of other workers’ boundaries and responsibilities. It’s also important to collaborate with other leaders and present a united front.
3️⃣ Ensure the Company’s Culture Meets Employees’ Needs
Employees’ needs often change as your company grows. Their roles will become more demanding, increasing the need for regular breaks. Workers may ask for better incentives to match their contribution to the bottom line. Further, they will require well-rounded wellness and assistance programs.
As you scale your brand, it’s good also to check your employees’ needs. Find out if they want you to implement changes to align their work with personal values. Do some workers want to take days off during ethnic and religious holidays? Is there a policy they want you to enforce to improve the workplace?
Keep up with employees’ needs to ensure your organizational culture is relevant and effective. Doing so reinforces positive attitudes and allows them to embrace changes. Updating your culture regularly also helps new members learn and adapt.
4️⃣ Hire Employees Who Contribute to the Culture
Many business owners hire employees who fit the company’s culture. While this can simplify onboarding, remember that your brand is evolving quickly. Hence, the mission and goals may change a bit. You may also need to review your values regularly and align them with those of your target market.
As you seek new talent, get people who can contribute to the workplace culture. Focus on applicants who are flexible and adaptable. Look for innovative and creative candidates since they will give ideas that improve the workplace.
When interviewing job candidates, be keen to identify those who will contribute to the culture. Find out what they know about your firm’s values. Ask them about their long-term vision for the company. An ideal candidate should paint a picture that aligns with the brand’s vision.
Here are some tips for finding employees who will contribute to the culture:
- Highlight the company’s culture in job descriptions
- Specify the traits you are looking for
- Ask behavioral interview questions
Your employees can help you pick great hires for your firm’s culture if you include them in the selection process. One way to involve them is to have a few representatives on the interview panel. You may also ask them to do peer interviews once you narrow your choices.
5️⃣ Create a Sense of Belonging
Many employees want to feel valued by their bosses and not just for their contribution. They prefer working in a company that considers their interests and career goals. Creating a sense of belonging can maintain your brand’s culture as it grows.
One way to do this is by celebrating your employees when they meet goals. Post them on your social media or compliment them in front of their peers and clients.
Reward good performance with financial incentives or non-monetary gifts. For example, you can give them a gift card or pay for a short vacation. You may also send your workers personalized emails to thank them for their input.
Workplace communication tools aren’t such for ensuring efficiency. They also help employees connect and build a community. Such tools also encourage them to share ideas and help others out.
Use communication tools to ensure your workers feel included. Before implementing policies, use such platforms to ask for ideas and give feedback. Doing so will make employees feel valued and respected, which helps maintain the firm’s culture.
Don’t Let Growth Damage Your Brand’s Culture
Maintaining organizational culture improves cohesion and public image. Still, it’s not always easy in a fast-growing company, where there are many aspects to focus on.
Hire employees who will uphold the company’s mission and follow its values. Motivate them to maintain the culture through engagement and appreciation. Don’t forget to lead by example and act on your team’s feedback.
