What makes up a good culture is the smaller, finer things like the vibe in the environment, internal growth, belief in the vision, efficient delegation and rewards, and recognition

Culture is one of the most important focus points when it comes to employee retention. It’s the undercurrent of the organization, however, often mistaken for things that do not matter - like salary, quirky office, fancy laptops, and a sought-after location. 

On the contrary, what makes up a good culture is the smaller, finer things like the vibe in the environment, internal growth, belief in the vision, efficient delegation and rewards and recognition. A good culture is inclusive and considerate, and at the same time safeguards its own employees from themselves by setting the right policies and aligning them with the greater vision. This is what it takes for your business to succeed, which in turn attracts good talent. 

When it comes to building this kind of culture, here are some simple tactics that have worked for us at Knowlarity: 

Employee freedom

Differences in perspectives, habits, and core assumptions are inevitable. In micromanaging employees, we make them lose sight of what matters in the long term. In a fast-growing culture, what matters is delivery. Instead of managing when employees come in or how much time they spend on their desk, what should matter is whether they are keeping up with deadlines and getting work done. Freedom helps in retaining good employees and get the best out of them.

Boost your team’s strength

Making existing employees build stronger skill sets makes them see the value-add that working with your company brings for them, which in turn encourages them to perform even better. As they climb up the ladder, they take everything they have learned with them and allow more and more people you hire to learn from them. Such people seldom leave the organization for better opportunities. 

For instance, at Knowlarity, Internal Job Posting allows employees to apply for vacancies in different domains, and across hierarchies. It allows employees to have a fair shot at what they wish to do within the company instead of looking for opportunities outside. This strengthens the culture of hope and helps retain existing employees. 

Live the brand

A good culture fit is often determined by how well employees can cultivate the culture with their individuality. We can encourage that by allowing employees to merge their personal and professional attributes and blend in. 

One way to go about it is making them a part of CSR activities. It brings the team together for a cause greater than themselves - something that is an essential element of a strong culture. 

Contribution matters

Another important aspect is recognition. When employees are appreciated for their contributions, they feel motivated to do better at their own job, which in turn opens doors to a lot of opportunities for them. You would be surprised to see employees taking the initiative to be a part of the most trivial tasks when they know it is important for the company.

Knowlarity imbibes this sentiment with R&R (Rewards and Recognition) Program. Not only has it seen an increase in enthusiasm, but employees are also more motivated and productive to secure a place in the town hall meetings. Recognition is a very powerful motivator. 

Nurturing collaborative culture

A collaborative environment creates more bandwidth for growth and learning among employees. For example, a marketing team can work with the analytics and sales team to get more deep insights on market dynamics and build sharp strategies. Establishing friendly yet professional relationships among employees, teams and their respective managers help in building a thriving culture. It also allows them to understand the impact of their job/department function on other functions in the company.  

Inspired team

Building an inspired team involves the effort of all stakeholders in the team, including senior management. The values in the culture give employees a fresh perspective and renewed motivation, it allows them to refocus on the bigger picture. When the senior management takes initiatives like meetups and regular town halls, an employee gets an opportunity to connect with them and understand their vision for the organization. This builds an inspired team and keeps them aligned with their thought process.

The closer you get to building a good culture and a great work environment, the closer you get to building an organization that everyone wants to work with. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house