There’s a good chance that your office culture sucks. It’s true that we hear employee engagement is trending downward as at least half of the American workforce is thinking about leaving their jobs for something better. Office culture is a strong affecter of how happy you are in the workplace. In fact, we think office culture is the glue that builds a strong, productive organization.
It's not about a personal chef. It's not about ping pong. It's not even about having a beautiful office space. So then what IS culture? Former Director of Talent at Sprout Social Jim Conti told a room full of HR executives the following at a 2017 Talent Economy conference:
Culture lives and exists around you every day. Culture is NOT your game room, free snacks, or standing desks. When you take those things away what are you left with? Culture is how you communicate, how you treat each other, and what you value.
So we're talking about a generally positive and cool office culture. Businesses that have it retain their employees longer, produce more goods and services, and have no trouble recruiting even the most sought-after employees. Businesses with a cool office culture are the ones that everyone wants to work with and everyone wants to work for.
But how can a business pull off a great culture?
Culture feels real, but it's hard to replicate. It's a vibe made from company mission and values, but also how people interact with each other. Culture can happen, or it can be deliberately created but everyone can agree that a positive office culture is both desirable and a necessity.
You've heard that Google has one of the most renowned cultures in the world. Sure, they have afternoon volleyball, basketball courts, and subsidized massages. But it's more than that.
Officevibe says Google's awesome culture has more to do with certain characteristics than over-the-top benefits.
How can you bring these elements to your own office and company?
What if you like your job and want to stay in it, but your office culture is disjointed, lacks collaboration, or is filled with some other uncomfortable vibe? According to Office Vibe, 42% of employees feel that their workplace leadership does not contribute to the company culture in a positive way.
What if leadership never got around to developing a cool culture that keeps people engaged? Can you fix it yourself?
How can you, as an individual employee, change your office culture for the better — even if your boss doesn’t know how?
The #1 thing to know about culture? Office culture isn't born — it's made!
We don’t need to quote any more statistics. You know instinctively how important office culture is. You’re more likely to want to work in a company where the cool kids hang out. You’ll be more willing to stay because of the people that surround you. Fast Company says, “Office culture doesn’t just happen — it is carefully forged, and can make or break a company.”
But ask yourself this simple question: Is it strictly up to corporate leadership to make a great workplace environment? Aren’t employees just as culpable if the office environment lacks awesomeness?
Empowering yourself as the vector for an office cultural turnaround may be the beginnings of change that ripples across your organization.
Here are some easy ways you can positively impact office culture — with or without your boss:
Once you've figured out your ideal company culture, it's time to find the right hiring matches. Culture fit, culture add, and culture match are big terms being thrown around lately when it comes to hiring. See what the difference between them is here.
Artisan is committed to helping office cultures thrive and be more productive by providing creative talent with the attitude to help your organization succeed.
No matter what your current vibe, Artisan can help find the right employee to fit any culture or the right culture to fit almost any employee.
View our open jobs here or contact us today and we can help you find the perfect match!