We’ve seen in previous articles how beneficial a strong organisational culture can be, benefitting everyone in your organisation from the C-suite down.  

In this blog, we’ll look at three easy wins you can implement — proven to boost company culture.  

Audit your leadership style 

It goes without saying that leaders play a critical role within their organisation. But not just in guiding the business side of things.  

A good leader inspires and motivates their people. Those that take on a more active mentorship role (cheerleading their employees and advocating for their teams) see a 102% boost in employee motivation and 76% increase in feeling like part of a larger purpose. 

To develop a leadership style conducive to a good company culture, consider: 

• Investing in an environment that encourages continuous development — after all, 80% of employees feel they would be more engaged if they learned new skills 
• Showing empathy – 88% of employees in a 2021 EY report believe that empathy in leadership creates strong loyalty. But 46% believe current company efforts to cultivate it are ‘dishonest’

Acknowledge employee effort 

When employees are recognised for their hard work, they’re more engaged and more productive. There’s a body of evidence to support this, and Gallup’s Unleashing the Human Element at Work does an excellent job of summarising why you should make employee recognition your number-one priority. 

When recognised, employees are: 

• 5x as likely to feel connected to their organisational culture 
• 4x as likely to be engaged in their work 
• 56% less likely to entertain other job opportunities 

There isn’t a cookie-cutter framework for employee recognition, as every organisation is different. However, case studies on major brands can demonstrate what’s worked when other companies have built off their own strengths. 

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Embrace your ethics 

It’s well-known now that, for consumer-facing brands, strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) is key to building loyalty with Millennials and the increasingly important Gen Z segment. 

It’s perhaps unsurprising that those within the organisation echo the sentiment of those outside. Research by Bupa indicates that the majority of Gen Z (whose share of the workforce only grows) are concerned with social and environmental issues – 63% feel the burden of climate change, 63% are anxious about social justice issues, and 64% are anxious about poverty and inequality. 

A strong ethical footprint can greatly boost the intrinsic motivation these employees feel. By showing your employees how conscious you are of issues such as climate change and social justice — and being transparent about your commitment and roadmap to tackling them — you can positively impact your company culture. 

Bonus: strive for purpose 

This isn’t strictly its own tip, as it follows on from the first and third in this article. However, striving towards a purpose-driven culture can have tremendous effects on morale and employee engagement. 

By purpose-driven culture, we refer to an environment where an organization’s people are united by a common mission — and, in turn, each takes ownership of their work to further that mission.  

In a purpose-driven culture, the focus isn’t just on, say, selling a product and boosting the bottom line. It’s on bettering lives through the sales of this product and making sure it fulfils the consumer’s needs.  

Of course, the numbers are key in both environments. But the latter tends to be a workplace where employees are passionate about their work and put in discretionary effort.  

Again, there isn’t a playbook for cultivating this kind of culture. A good starting point is to ask employees what they believe their purpose is with a survey, before considering how it ties into your company’s mission. Then, articulate your newfound purpose across internal and external communications — while continuing to improve your culture by focusing on the points touched on earlier. 

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