Why Company Culture Trumps Everything in 2021?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough. Businesses had to quickly opt for unconventional ways of operation and transform into new models almost overnight.
Company Culture
How Can a People-Centric Organization Reach New Heights?
Richard Branson said, “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.” It used to be that the only type of corporate culture that existed was centered around the company, where profits were number one, but the value of team members was overlooked and underestimated. Now that a company-centric culture is no longer the only option, the currency of these companies has greatly diminished. The culture that today’s companies have is significantly different from the past. We have moved away from the dogma where organizations, worship profits but undervalue their people. We have reached the point where being people-centric is clearly the effective philosophy to embrace. Interestingly, Branson, while building the Virgin Group, a multinational conglomerate overseeing his several ventures, adopted an engaging approach in which he decided to put the customers second and his people first. This compelling strategy has helped him earn a yearly revenue of more than $ 22 billion! How does a People-Centric Company Culture Work? The bulk of team members in today’s organizations are millennials, and with that, we have started to see a philosophical shift. Team members have gradually come to know their worth, which creates a highly competitive environment for the top-tier talent that’s available. Many companies have realized this change and have come to the conclusion that the best way to attract talent is to adopt and embrace a culture focused on their people. Imagine that you were working for a company in which you had to continually sacrifice the things that mattered to you, such as opportunities for career development or time missed with your family because of the constant demand to work after hours; All this because you always had to put the needs of the company before yourself. Would you grow to resent that company? How soon would you be looking for other options in your career? Those who resent their workplace are often a ticking time bomb. They may be driven away seeking out a better environment to work in, or simply going through the motions of each day demotivated and apathetic towards their work. It’s even possible for resentment to grow so much that it leads to malicious acts against the company. Whether they decide to leave or stick around, it’s a detriment to the company’s morale, culture, and overall success of the business. On the contrary, if team members know that their company is looking out for them and cares about their success as an individual as well as the company’s, it means team members will give their best to the organization and do all they can to help the organization succeed. In this scenario, a positive morale and work environment are thriving; People are motivated and enjoy working for the organization. A People-Centric Work Culture Drives Business All businesses function via sales in one form or another no matter what the industry, which means all businesses have customers. Interactions that customers have throughout their journey with a company are crucial, and your people are the key to this equation. Team members are the direct line to your customers. They make up the front line, back line, and everything in between, whenever and wherever your customers are. Everything that you put into the culture of your company and the way you treat your team members reflects in the way they work and interact with your customers. When you have a people-centric culture present in your organization, you will find newly motivated team members who are eager, curious, passionate, highly productive, and who never think twice about giving their best to you. When you invest in engagement and development for your team members and their quality of life, your organization will reap the rewards. How to Become a People-Centric Organization? Depending on your company, you should decide how you can implement a culture that values team members over customers and profits. There are different ways to make your people feel valued and ensure that they thrive in your organization. For example, an interesting approach that Google has implemented for a few years now is providing a luxurious lunch to its team members free of charge. Another example is Apple offering stock buying options and extra days off to their team members. Additionally, when it comes to a people-centric work culture, it is always crucial to keep in mind that your people are empowered with a sense of autonomy and responsibility. If you allow them to be creative and approach problems in their own way, the solutions that they come up with are likely to be much more effective and efficient than when in a limiting or controlling environment. If you want to create an environment where team members can shine and give their full potential , you should find out how you can best create a conducive workplace experience for them. More often than not, there are little things you can do, that make a big impact for them. The best way to figure out how you can help them is by asking. Engage your team members and discover how you can make a difference for them. The Final Note Being people-centric is all about how your organization creates a meaningful experience for your team members. Company culture is a cycle. At Etech, we believe our people are our asset! Click here to explore what we believe is the right way an organization can deliver great customer experience while empowering its team members. If you want your organization to be a customer-centric business, you should be centered on your team members first. Strive to build your organization from the inside out, and as your team members thrive, your company will also succeed and be able to reach new heights.
How does Your Company Culture Impact Your Overall Business?
When you want your business profits to grow, if you are like many businesses you probably re-evaluate your strategy and cut expenses where you can. When it comes to delivering for your stakeholders there is one critical element that can trump all others: company culture. Contrary to what some business owners may believe, company culture is more than just a buzzword. Your team is your business, and so serving those you have the previlige to lead by creating and supporting a great company culture must be the priority. Not convinced? Companies that focus on creating a positive culture tend to earn more than their competitors. No doubt why Peter Drucker is known for this famous quote, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Here’s how prioritizing a positive company culture can help your business grow. Positive Company Culture Increases Employee Retention and Decreases Turnover Simply put, employees who are happier at work are less likely to quit. While you can find replacement employees, running a business with a high turnover rate can quickly become expensive. Each time you need to hire someone new, your business must invest in advertising; spend time interviewing and evaluating applicants…not to mention the high cost of training. When an employee quits, there’s always the question of how other workers will make up for their absence. More often than not, being understaffed negatively impacts the productivity of your remaining employees. This can decrease company morale. Depending on your industry, you also may need to pay overtime to make sure your company stays on track. The result of high turnover is a combination of overworked, less productive employees, and increased operational costs — two things any business wants to avoid. Great Culture Makes Employees More Productive Employees who feel appreciated aren’t just less likely to quit — they also are more likely to be more productive at work. One study even found that workers who are unhappy at work are, on average, 10 percent less productive than happy employees. It’s a logical conclusion; when employees feel their company doesn’t care about them, they’re less likely to go the extra mile for their company. Of course, culture isn’t the only thing that impacts employee happiness. Adequate pay, health benefits, having a worthwhile cause, sense of community, development opportunities and the ability to achieve work-life balance are important factors as well. But if you want to make sure you’re running a productive company, taking steps to ensure a welcoming environment and overall employee satisfaction is a vital place to start. Great Culture Facilitates Development In a company environment that emphasizes the negative, employees may feel defensive and closed off when it comes time to review performance. However, if your company has adopted a supportive culture of coaching, your employees are more likely to be open. It’s important for your team to know how much you care. A healthy company culture leverages and praises strengths while offering a framework for employee development and growth. If employees sense that you’re willing to invest in them (rather than criticize their weaknesses), they’re more likely to react positively to constructive feedback. A growth-focused work environment also facilitates employee engagement, which usually results in a focused workforce of people who are self-motivated to respond to coaching and improve impacting your bottom line. Great Culture Supports Unity and Brand Recognition A clearly defined company culture has a host of benefits for your employees. Still, it also has the potential to positively shape the way your company appears to customers and clients. When your employees feel your company values are present and know they are more than just words on a wall, they’re more likely to live them. This translates to a focused, unified community that inspires confidence in your customers, making them more likely to want to grow with you. Great Culture Fosters Open Communication While a positive company culture makes it easier for your employees to improve, it also offers opportunities for you to improve the working environment. For instance, many businesses have begun adopting an open office style. In some cases, this is a good thing — it makes collaboration more comfortable, and it helps employees feel like part of a team. It also makes it easier for employees to get to know one another, which can improve morale. On the other hand, open offices also can compromise focus and productivity as they increase distraction risk. Ultimately, the personalities of your employees and the nature of the work they do should dictate which environment is best. If your company has adopted a healthy and communicative culture, you can talk to your employees to determine which setting they prefer. In a culture that’s more closed off, it can be not very easy to get honest answers from those who work for you. When you and your employees can communicate honestly, it leads to better working conditions for everyone, which almost always translates to improved culture, results and profits. The Bottom Line In a business world where many owners and managers value profit above all, it’s easy to disregard the importance of company culture. However, with 20 years of experience in focusing on servant leadership and creating a great company culture at Etech, we have seen the tangible benefits of a motivated, more engaged and happier workforce. When you take meaningful steps towards creating a positive company culture, you’ll come closer to creating a working environment your employees look forward to coming to, as well as a business they’re proud to work for. Find out more about what it takes to create a positive culture in your company today. This blog was earlier published on LinkedIn.
People – First Culture – The Chant for Developing A Successful Business
The People-First culture is a buzz word in the business world now. Many companies have embraced this culture after witnessing the positive impact it has on the growth and success of various businesses. But what does People first Culture is all about? There is a variation of definition to this powerful term, but for Etech it is treating our workforce the same way we treat our customers. This is clearly reflected in our vision statement. Etech’s Vision To make a remarkable difference for each other, our customers, and within our communities. For a business, the quality of customer experience is directly proportional to customer satisfaction. And customer satisfaction directly impacts the success and growth of a business. Who determines the quality of your Customer’s Experience? The most valuable resource of your company – THE EMPLOYEES! The People-First culture – Benefits Magnet For Talented Workforce Who wouldn’t like to work in an environment where there is growth, creativity, where one’s voice is heard, and hard work is appreciated and rewarded? A People-First culture is a magnet that drives talent into your spectrum and gives them the motivation to stay. Increased Productivity According to one of Forbes articles, happy employees are up to 20% more productive. A People-First culture gives the employees the opportunity to utilize their strengths and platform to put in use what they have learned; this brings a sense of content and happiness among employees. If you have a strong and loyal employee base, nothing can stop your business from achieving its goals. When you put your people first, you are telling your workforce that they are important and their presence is valued. This generates a sense of trust and camaraderie among the people which is very important when it comes to the overall growth of the business. The Three Main Pillars of People-First culture Listen A good company listens to what its employees have to say. Approach your workforce with an open mind and listen to their needs and requirements. Understand what are the challenges they are facing? Make them realize that the company cares for them and their welfare. Communicate Communication gap is a pathway to a disastrous outcome. One of the vital factors that build a successful team is effective communication. Communicate to your people the company’s goals and vision. Effectively communicate with them the win-win situation that it will create when the employees align with the company’s vision. Support Show your employees that you are there for them. There are different ways of supporting your team members like surprising them with gift cards occasionally, setting up company marts system wherein people can buy needful things out of the points they earn, team lunches, fun activities for relaxation, etc. Developing a successful People-First culture takes time and effort. The leaders have to proactively invest and involve in the activities that will help build a strong culture. But, it is worth investing your time, money and effort for the positive results will serve you lifelong.
How To Reinvent Company’s Winning Culture?
The case has been made again and again concerning why the way of culture you make at your company matters. Despite the fact that you may perceive the significance of culture, it can be precarious to see the condition of your own organization culture. Much the same as fish don’t know they are in water since they are inundated each day, it can likewise be hard to plainly observe your own particular culture. It’s time to Reinvent Your Company Culture In the event that your organization has never discussed the culture you are making, it might be a great opportunity to focus on it. Furthermore, regardless of the possibility that you have examined culture before, here are a couple of key signs that your culture may require some consideration: Employees are leaving at quick rate Employees appear to be despondent and separated Employees performances has declined Your organization is experiencing a time of move (development or decrease) Even Facebook, after realizing with 400 employees and 80 million users that their culture still needed to defined, stopped and asked – who do we want to be when we grow up? Remember, if you don’t define your winning culture it will define you. If you have never spent time thinking about your winning culture, then now is as good a time as any to start. Steps to Reinventing Your Winning Culture Reinventing your culture can feel like an enormous undertaking. It is anything but difficult to fall over into the mantra; this is quiet recently that way things have dependably been finished. In any case, business achievement is seldom accomplished with that attitude. All things considered, you would not continue fabricating an item that does not offer or keep utilizing a similar promoting procedure that does not draw in any clients. The same goes for your company culture. Why keep doing likewise if it’s not helping you make a sound, cheerful work environment? So how would you reinvent your company culture? It takes helplessness, openness, straightforwardness and eagerness to change. When you have that, there are three key strides to the procedure: 1. Assess the present circumstance: Before you can enhance your workplace culture, you need to comprehend the condition of your working environment as it exists at this moment. Here are three stages to get the heart of your present circumstance: Take a gander at your company: Begin by recognizing the key issues you are confronting as a company. Don’t simply list the indications; however, get to the base of the issues. For instance, are representatives clearing out? Assuming this is the case that is only a side effect of a bigger issue. The foundation of the issue could be that representatives have doubtful sets of expectations, can’t discuss viably with their boss or are not being perceived for their work. Burrow further to locate the fundamental issues. Take a gander at yourself: A key to administration is the capacity to act naturally mindful and distinguish the part you have played in the culture turning into the way it is. How have you been a positive case to whatever remains of your group? Is it accurate to say that you are the pioneer you wish you had? Is it accurate to say that you are focused on your very own development and persistently improving as a pioneer for your company? Look to your employee performance: The best thing you can do to assess the condition of your company culture is ask the general population inundated in it every day. Execute approaches to effectively listen to your representatives and what they accept about the culture. Give unknown studies, have town lobby gatherings, and demand input from representatives at all levels. Not exclusively does this give you input straight from those influenced most, yet it permits them to feel a part of the procedure, which makes purchase in for the progressions that are to come. 2. Make a convincing vision: When you comprehend where you are, consider where you need to go as a company. This is your opportunity to dream! Puts forth these inquiries: What is do you need the eventual fate of your company to resemble? Recollect when you initially began your company – why did you begin it? What change would you like to find on the planet? What does a solid company culture look like to you? What do you remain for as a Contact Center Agents? What do you esteem? The responses to these inquiries will help you cast a convincing vision for the culture you need to make in your Contact Center Agents. To rehash your culture, it’s vital to get the 10,000 foot view right. Odds are if your culture is feeble you have dismissed your vision and qualities. These are the establishment of your culture. In the event that you don’t have center qualities, this is the ideal opportunity to make them. There are numerous assets accessible to help you decide your center center qualities, yet here is the thing that worked for us. As the originator or pioneer of your company, you can’t be the person who decides the culture totally all alone. In any case, you ought to be the main thrust and visionary behind it. Unite a group of influencers inside your company to characterize your culture and where you need to take it. Keep listening to all representatives and giving open doors for input. Support did this when they were deciding their center qualities to include workers. 3. Create a Winning Culture Plan: Since you have seen where you are and where you need to go – how are you going to arrive? It begins by making a culture arrange. By distinguishing your why and center qualities, you have as of now mapped out the establishment of your arrangement. Next, you should choose your needs for how you can make the correct environment and develop your group with a specific end goal to fortify your culture. You can do this
4 Essential Factors to Consider for a Great Company Culture
In the modern market, usually the most successful companies have an attractive company culture capable of retaining top talent. What are the keys to cultivating and maintaining this seemingly mythical concept? It all starts with a team mentality and you are the coach. Here’s the game plan for a successful company culture: Focus on Good Fits When you think of hiring a new professional, one of the first items on your checklist is probably a proven track record of productivity. However, it should be a personality that’ll fit well with your company culture. Even if your new hire is capable of producing large volumes of quality work, that doesn’t necessarily constitute a positive contribution to the team environment. What’s the moral of the story? Don’t hire jerks no matter how productive they are or how impressive their resume is. Remember, your employees represent your company even when they are off the clock. Will you latest hire do the company image justice? Make Your Company Values Obvious Perhaps one of the top recommended interview questions is “why do you want to work for this company?” It’s designed to give you insight into each professional’s motives, personal goals and knowledge of the company. If you want to draw top talent to your cause, you have to make your company values known. For example, Google has no problem attracting top talent because it has a clear reputation for high quality, intelligent algorithms and encouraging employee creativity. Whatever your company values are, make them known and find professionals attracted to your values. Management Doesn’t Always Have the Better Idea Let’s head back to the trusty Google example. Most large companies allow little freedom to their employees regarding projects and daily tasks. However, Google News, a current staple of the search engine platform, was not a management idea. A Google research scientist created it after 9/11 because he wanted to see multiple news sources at one time and chooses the focus of the articles. This a classic example of how giving your employees the freedom to make decisions and figure things out is key to company growth and market relevance. Make the Team More Important Than the Individual Every single one of these four points is designed to help you make your organization work culture an inviting one capable of attracting and keeping top talent. Making the team more important helps foster that. When professionals enjoy whom they work with, they are more motivated to complete tasks effectively. Why? The motivation has little to do with pleasing management and more to do with being there for their peers. Don’t encourage your team members to hog the ball. Instead, focus on a symbiotic system. When you consider these four factors of a great company culture, they certainly make sense in a general context, but its up to you to implement these suggestions in a way that will help your company thrive and attract quality professionals. Always keep what’s best for the team in mind and stay focused on the big picture: company success.
3 Reasons Why Company Culture Is so Important
Corporate culture is a term that is here to stay. When you hear that phrase, you may think of tech startups, millennials and remote employees with unlimited vacation days. The funny thing about culture, though, is that every organization has one, whether intentional or not. An organization’s culture has been referred to as one of the greatest competitive advantages a company can leverage. This means that, all other things being equal, the organization with the more intentional and engaging culture is likely to attract the most talent. Here are three reasons why taking the time to mold your company’s culture pays off. Happy Employees Equal Happy Customers When your team members are happy and engaged, their enthusiasm rubs off on your clients and your internal culture manifests itself as a positive brand image. Happy, helpful employees make for happy, satisfied customers, even when problems arise. Happy customers and a positive corporate image may also pay off in the way of attracting investors. Intrinsic Motivation Is More Powerful Than a System of Punishments and Rewards A supportive, intentional culture drives employee engagement. When your vision, purpose and brand values are clearly expressed, your employees are more likely to find satisfaction in doing meaningful work. When team members feel accountable because they are committed to your organization’s clearly stated purpose and to the customers they serve, they motivate themselves to do their best work. They maintain a sense of ownership that you can’t legislate or pay for. Another factor in this process is a culture that gives people room to grow and freedom to do their best work. Developing People to Their Full Potential Yields Better Results Than Training Drones If you are trying to create a factory atmosphere, you will be focused on molding people to fit your business needs. If, on the other hand, you wish to create an environment that celebrates creativity, innovation and service, you should focus on helping employees develop their personal strengths. Instead of outlining a particular career path for your company, such as sales rep, shift supervisor, team manager and so on, help your people grow and develop and they may fill needs you never knew the company had. Implementing a Culture That Works Every organization is different. Some companies do offer unlimited vacation and free meals during the workday. For others, though, these specific perks may not be feasible or even relevant. When choosing what kind of perks or activities to offer, think about what you value most and what sorts of investments would best sync with those values. In the end, fun perks are not the ultimate culture-creators. You should focus on what things are of value to your ideal employee, and go from there. For some businesses, that may be free lunch and bring-your-dog-to-work-day. For others, equity options and the space to be innovative may create the biggest draw. It may take time to get your employees’ work environment set up just the way you want to.However, because culture is an ever-changing thing,it will morph and grow over time. Instead of trying to create the ideal environment right this minute, focus on creating clear objectives for your brand, attracting team members who embrace those objectives and building connectedness throughout the company.
