Why does company culture matter? A strong company culture is essential for many reasons. It provides a platform for communication, boosts morale and leads to increased job satisfaction amongst staff. It can also boost team productivity; help attract and retain good talent and drive innovation in the business. Here’s our guide on how to set up a company culture session.
Define your company values
These values should form the foundation of your company culture session, and give a framework for activities and discussions. These can help to create a sense of purpose for the business and its employees – particularly if aligned with employee values. For small businesses and start-ups, creating values helps to establish a vision and ethos and can be beneficial in boosting morale as the business scales. Read our blog on how to establish company values.
Set up a planning group
Consider who will lead the organisation for the culture session, will it be the Heads of Departments or HR? It’s a good idea to involve a diverse range of employees in the planning stages so that all views are represented and that it aligns with the wider company values.
Choose a theme
Select a theme that resonates with company culture and values. Whether it’s teamwork or based on the business itself, this will provide a structure for the session. For example, in hospitality, our client Bar Douro hosted a company culture day that focused on the menu change allowing all staff to try dishes from the new menu and also completing some fun quizzes and tasks along the way.
Set clear objectives
Set a clear set of goals for the company culture day. Some clients have used the events to make important company announcements or celebrate milestones. We held our own to put together a strategy for a five-year plan.
Running a company culture session
- Make it interactive
Host sessions that align with the chosen theme but ensure that they are interactive so that staff are allowed to feedback. This can include workshops, team building exercises to keep employees engaged.
- Recognise staff
Dedicate a proportion of the company culture session to recognising and celebrating the team’s achievements. This could highlight individual or group achievements and is a great way to demonstrate how employees contribute to the success of the business.
- Invite guest speakers or experts
Inviting a guest speaker to a company culture day can be a great way to share insights relating to the company’s goals. External perspectives can be inspiring for the team and provide them with valuable takeaways.
- Ask employees for feedback
The company culture day should allow staff to communicate openly and honestly. Employees should be able to discuss their thoughts on the company culture, suggest improvements and have an open conversation about issues in the workplace. It’s also important to gather feedback on the style and format of the culture session, so that it can evolve in line with employee feedback.
Maximising the impact of a company culture session
- Make it a regular event
Creating consistent events focusing on the team and the culture is great for productivity and morale. Once the first event is held, gather feedback from staff on the format of future events and ensure they are part of the calendar.
- Promote it!
Capture the event through images or videos to showcase the company culture externally. This can be a powerful recruitment tool for potential employees – demonstrating that the company is committed to developing and listening to its staff.
- Integrate the outcomes into the business
Ensure the values and lessons learned through the culture session are integrated into the business strategy. There is nothing more disappointing for staff to offer feedback and see no action taken. Communicate with staff on progress regularly relating to the outcomes of the day.
Setting up a company culture session is a powerful investment in the team and the overall business. Through careful planning, the day will reflect the business values, engage employees and create a positive workplace environment. Ultimately, this will help recruit and retain the best employees.