Workplace Culture

How to create a positive workplace culture

Is keeping everyone happy at work a worry for your small business? Maybe you’ve tried offering ‘perks’ but you’re still struggling with a disengaged team.

Overlooking happiness at work and what’s happening with your workplace culture could be impacting on the engagement and productivity of your employees.

What is ‘positive workplace culture’ (and what it’s not!)?

A workplace culture is the ‘feeling’ you experience at work when you bring together the collective beliefs, values and behaviours demonstrated by everyone in your business. At its best, positive workplace culture creates an environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered to do their best work. Your employees are happiest and more productive at work when the
workplace culture is positive, and the good news… your business benefits as a result.

Beware of reaching for those seemingly quick wins when trying to keep everyone happy; positive workplace culture isn’t just about one off ‘perks’ like free pizza or pinning a list of values to your staffroom wall. These things can work as part of your wider workplace culture, but in isolation, employees will soon see past these, they won’t create sustainable employee happiness alone.

Why is having a positive workplace culture important for your business?

Creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture isn’t just about keeping your employees happy, there are valuable commercial benefits for your business:

• Up to 20% higher productivity
  When people are motivated, appreciated, and connected to their work, they’re more likely
  to be productive and go the extra mile, driving better results for your business.
• Lower staff turnover rates
  According to Breathe HR, you can expect to spend on average £12,000 to replace a member of staff and much more for senior hires. Add on top lack of productivity during the settling in phase, manager training time… The costs soon creep up. Employees who are happy and engaged are more likely to stay with your business long-term, meaning your financial resources can be better invested elsewhere such as better tech, training and development.
• Stronger employer brand – being sought out because of your positive workplace culture
  In today’s competitive job market, having a strong employer brand sets you apart and makes attracting and recruiting talent easier and less costly. They will come looking for you!
• Top customer service
  Employees who feel valued are more likely to deliver excellent customer service, their commitment to your business services or products will filter out to your clients or customers creating brand loyalty and increased sales.
• Increased creativity and innovation
  A culture that promotes open communication, recognition, and trust encourages employees to take risks and suggest new ideas without fear of failure. This maximises opportunity for creativity and innovation, which not only benefits the business but also makes employees feel more engaged and fulfilled in their roles.

How to create a sustainable positive workplace culture – the fundamentals

Let’s take you beyond the surface of quick wins with some key fundamentals for creating positive workplace culture:

• Clear communication and transparency
  A key success criterion in creating positive workplace culture is open, honest communication. Employees want to know what’s happening within the business, how well its doing and to feel comfortable to share their ideas or concerns.
• Recognition and appreciation
  We all want to feel appreciated for our efforts at work. A culture of recognition, whether its reward, formal awards or simply saying ‘thank you’, goes a long way toward making employees feel valued. Peer recognition also has a powerful part to play in this.
• A sense of purpose
  People are happiest when they feel their work has meaning. A positive culture thrives when everyone understands just how they as individuals contribute to the wider success
  of the business.
• Support for individual growth and development
  A happy employee is one who can picture themself growing with your company. Offering opportunities for professional development and career progression not only boosts morale, it increases employee retention and keeps those recruitment costs down.
• Safety, belonging and wellbeing
  An unhealthy or toxic workplace culture can cause employees to constantly second-guess themselves, leading to stress, anxiety and burnout. On the other hand, feelings of safety and belonging enable employees to focus on their work without fear of failure or judgement, leading to reduced sickness absence, well-being and stronger performance.
• Work-life balance
  Creating a positive culture means understanding that employees have lives outside of work. Having a positive attitude towards their work-life balance and providing flexibility not only shows you care, but also helps to retain talent.
• At Limelite HR & Learning, we love helping small businesses create great places to work.
• Are you ready to give your workplace culture a happiness check? Get in touch with us and find out how we can support you to:

• Review your current culture, understand what’s working and what’s not.
• Define your core values and make sure they’re more than just words on a wall.
• Implement feedback systems so employees feel listened to and valued.
• Create a recognition program to reward contributions at all levels.
• Provide development opportunities that align with your business goals and employee ambitions.

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• How Limelite HR can help

  We support organisations of all sizes with practical, people-first HR, learning and development. Whether you need day-to-day advice, help with a specific challenge or support building an amazing workplace, we’re here to help.

  Book free 30 minute discovery call