By John Duisberg, originally published on Cooleaf
Most company leaders want to have a vibrant company culture and high level of employee engagement.
However, leaders may lack the knowledge of practical steps to achieve these goals. Here are a few steps with specific actions that you and your team may use to improve your company’s culture.
STEP 1: CREATE NEW AND MORE FREQUENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEES TO CONNECT
Guess what? Employees are people, and people generally get a lot of satisfaction out of being around other people they like and enjoy spending time with. The crazy thing is that in many organizations, employees never get to know each other as well, people!
Action: Send out a short survey with the goal of getting feedback as to the top interests that employees have. These interests can include both professional and fun/social categories.
Example categories may include things like running, volunteering, family/kids, mentoring, product innovation, future leaders group, women’s groups, etc.… In the survey make sure to ask if the employee would be willing to help come up with new ideas and be a ‘champion’, or point of contact for an activity within a category they are interested in and if so, have them enter their name and e-mail (these employees may become group leaders).
Action: Create formal interest groups based on the top categories from the survey. Each group should have at least one champion, or group leader. It’s best to ask if someone would be interested in being a group leader for a short amount of time instead of them being assigned.
STEP 2: GIVE YOUR PEOPLE A PURPOSE
Giving a purpose does not need to be an abstract mission statement. It can be as simple as a goal for each interest group that is created. For example, let’s say you have a running group. Have the group champions understand that because there is a lot of interest from employees in running, you would like to use this group as a way for people to meet each other based on their common interest. Have the group champions decide how often the group should meet and what type of activities and events they should do.
Action: Work with group champions to define the goal for each group. Have them decide what type of activities the group will do and how often.
Action: Have your group champions create a schedule of activities and communications once the group goals have been set.
STEP 3: RECOGNIZE PEOPLE FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS
You now have a solid foundation with employee interest groups, champions, and goals. Now it’s time for employees to see the value you place on their contributions and participation in the culture of your company. Recognize people for achievements and participation. Recognition can be tied to rewards that are both financially based or as simple as a personal thank you.
Action: Set up recognition categories that you will highlight when employees demonstrate those values. Examples may include recognition for participation, leadership, going the extra mile, exemplary customer service, or being a technical ninja! You can have fun with the recognition categories based on what’s right for your culture. A best practice is to empower your group leaders with the ability to recognize their peers.
STEP 4: FOCUS ON THE FIRST 30 DAYS
Make sure that as part of all new hire on-boarding, new employees get introduced to the groups inside your company. This is a great way for new employees to meet their co-workers and feel part of a community. When people feel accepted and part of a community, they are more likely to stay!
Action: Make it part of the on-boarding process for each new employee to have an opportunity to join interest groups. Not only should they join some of the groups, encourage new employees to participate in group events. It is a best practice to have a way to track the progress of new employees so that your team can be proactive in making sure they feel welcomed and accepted into the company’s culture.
STEP 5: HAVE FUN
To be most effective, people need to enjoy what they do. A big part of employees enjoying what they do, is liking and respecting other people around them. Show your teams that it’s ok to have fun by you and other company leaders joining in on group activities. Just like everyone else, you should pick your interest groups and participate. Bottom line, have fun with it!
Action: Make sure you and your leadership team pick their interest groups and participate. This is not just about being an example to other employees. This is about being authentic. Join in on the fun that is taking place and you may surprise yourself that not only are enjoying your time, but also how much it will mean for your team to see you out there side by side with them.
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