Company culture isn’t just ping pong tables and happy hours. It comes down to the company’s attitudes, values and beliefs. While the other stuff is fun and exciting, organizational decisions shape growing company culture.
These established values create more meaning for a company, potentially attracting new talent that aligns with the same vision. According to a Glassdoor study, 77% of respondents said they would consider a company’s culture before applying to a new job.
In rapid growth, it’s essential to not lose sight of company culture efforts. Make sure this infrastructure is built prior to growth plans to ensure everyone understands the company’s mission. Below are tips on how to maintain culture in a growing company.
Why Is Maintaining Company Culture So Important?
It takes time to establish the infrastructure to shape company culture. This becomes difficult to maintain during periods of growth when leadership and HR are tied up in onboarding and training sessions. Without the proper introduction of the company values, the established culture efforts can get lost in information overload for new employees. If the time isn’t taken to introduce and establish those beliefs, the information will not be retained and practiced.
HR Tip: Introduce your company culture in the onboarding process. This is a good way to set the tone right off the bat so employees know what to expect and see how their values align with the company and its growth culture.
Four Ways Companies Can Maintain Company Culture During Rapid Growth
To offer the best company culture, you need to practice what you preach. Figure out what your company culture should look like as you grow. What’s your ideal work environment? Have you made an effort to get your team on board with your vision? Don’t let your company vision exist only in your mind, be sure to encourage everyone to get involved in the company trajectory. (Sharing is caring – and the key to your business’ success.)
If your company’s infrastructure does not align with day-to-day practices, the culture is not going to be understood or enforced. To set clear standards and consistency, here are four ways to establish company culture:
1. Have A Solid Mission Statement
If you haven’t already, identify the key beliefs that represent your organization. Using these ideas to create a solid mission statement lets everyone know what your company stands for. A defined mission, vision and set of values are crucial in laying the foundation for company culture. This gets every employee on the same page while also attracting new talent that aligns with your mission and goals.
Yes, the work that gets produced is important, but what truly draws employees to a company is the culture. According to a Glassdoor study, 89% of adults felt an employer needed to have a clear mission and purpose. If compiling your values into one statement isn’t your strong suit, we’re here to help. We have established mission statements for various clients that make an impact, especially when it comes to company culture growth.
2. Create Open Communication With Your Employees
Growth culture is reliant on its people. To understand your company, the people working for you are your best resource. Employees can provide feedback that is essential to listen to for making improvements. As times are changing, companies need to adapt to new needs and understand what employees are looking for to continue to evolve.
Crafting your company culture is not a one-and-done assignment. It’s something that needs constant attention to stay up to date and remain effective. Losing sight of cultural efforts will lead to outdated offerings or a lack of communication of your business’ standards.
Lean on your team for feedback. Creating open communication will help you identify areas of improvement you may not have noticed on your own. Keep in mind that listening to your team members is only the first step – the real work is following through and making an effort to improve.
Offering opportunities for learning creates an environment that feels safe for constant feedback and better results. If leadership only focuses on the final product, questions along the way are ignored and never answered. This leads to confusion and disconnects employees within the organization. Prioritizing learning and growth will empower employees to feel more engaged and committed to the work.
3. Lead With A Growth Mindset
Define your culture by leading with a growth mindset. In a fast-paced environment, people tend to keep their heads down and focus only on the results. However, without paying attention to your growing culture, your employees might get left in the dark. Leading with a growth mindset (as opposed to a performance culture) will allow you to coach employees to learn every step along the way. Instead of strictly looking at numbers, a growth culture focuses on constructive feedback, personal responsibility and organizational culture.
Focusing on sales numbers is a great way to accomplish short term goals, but to drive company culture growth, company leaders need to look at the big picture. Instead of just looking at sales goals and performance, keeping a pulse on your company culture will help your company accommodate new clients and achieve better employee and client satisfaction.
Remember, managers are the #influencers of the organization. How you set the tone will determine how your employees will follow. If you take the time to mentor your employees, they will feel more supported and confident on the job. With hands-on instruction, continuous learning and collaboration, employees will find more meaning and purpose in their projects. Leading with this mindset will drive your company’s success.
4. Maintain Culture By Outsourcing HR
With ever-growing to-do lists, it’s easy to kick culture to the bottom of the list. As people get busy, especially in rapid growth, company culture might not be the focus of leadership’s day-to-day. Outsourcing HR allows you to have an expert third party take over your HR needs so you can save time on HR and focus on your company culture growth.
HR professionals can help managers stop answering onboarding questions (wait where’s my I-9?) and focus on the growth trajectory. Outsourced HR allows you to get the HR services you need without adding extra overhead to your company.
Outsourcing HR will allow an expert to dedicate their time to establishing and improving your processes so you can focus on your culture. Instead of having other people neglect this crucial element, an outsourced expert will ensure everything stays on track. While enforcing the company’s mission, they will be able to identify any misalignments within the organization and handle potential conflicts.
Am I Going To Lose Culture By Outsourcing HR?
Leading a company is something to take pride in, which makes it tough to give up control of certain areas of your business. (We understand, company leaders.) Your business is extremely important to you, but there’s no reason to bite off more than you can chew. Leading a growing company culture is a lot of work. Allowing outsourced HR assistance will free up your time and ensure your HR needs are being taken care of effectively.
It’s a common misconception that outsourcing your HR will lead to your company losing culture. Many companies prefer to have an internal HR team and may fear that letting someone that doesn’t know about your company could hurt company culture. In reality, outsourced HR is an extension of your team. Our president, Scott Carter, discusses how outsourcing HR can benefit your business.
At EmPower HR, we believe in authentic connections. We take the time to understand you and your business to make sure we are aligned with your mission and to make sure we’re implementing the proper initiatives. With this in mind, we will make sure your culture is built around your same vision. You won’t lose your culture by outsourcing HR, your company will be primed to grow.