Is Your Work Culture Working For You?

A picture, or in this case, a meme is worth a thousand words. You’ve probably seen it floating around on social media. It’s true. No matter what pursuits you’re after, having a strong support system is the key to success. This goes for your work culture too. It’s important to bring in team members who share your work ethic, passion and vision for the future.

Developing a “company culture” and continuing to have it flourish is essential to the overall success of the business. No matter the size, establishing that environment has to be done early and maintained. Smaller companies may have that culture influenced more by the workers hired, so it’s even more important to make those expectations known up front. Follow your gut when choosing who will be hired.  If the job applicant does not fit into your work culture, do not hire them.  You can’t change them into fitting in, so don’t try.

How do you define the workplace culture for your team? It’s something that can be done in house and based on a collaboration of ideas. It’s also been suggested by some experts to make this a written policy. Others may seek the help of an outside consultant. No matter how you decide to develop that culture, practicing what you’re preaching to team members is what is going to make a lasting impression. Lead by example and don’t fail your own policies.

Core beliefs, attitudes and behaviors are what helps to shape a workplace culture. The decision makers have to be ethical as they will be the most influential. As you might guess, hiring people who fit those established benchmarks will not only fit in and be more productive, they’ll also be more likely to stick around for the long haul. This benefits the company and the employee.

The Harvard Business Review suggests asking these questions during the interview process to help find the best fit for the culture that’s been established.

• What type of culture do you thrive in? (Does the response reflect your organizational culture?)
• What values are you drawn to and what’s your ideal workplace?
• Why do you want to work here?
• How would you describe our culture based on what you’ve seen? Is this something that works for you?
• What best practices would you bring with you from another organization? Do you see yourself being able to implement these best practices in our environment?
• Tell me about a time when you worked with/for an organization where you felt you were not a strong culture fit. Why was it a bad fit?

Other tips to make sure the candidate is a good fit for your culture is to spend some time with them after the interview is over. Don’t be in a rush to get the person in and out. Offer a tour of the workplace. Answer any questions and gage responses to how employees interact with the candidate.

Bottom line, a positive culture and environment is going to breed positive results. Negativity kills morale, so nip it in the bud. Be someone you would want to work for and that will help mold that work culture too.

Kandi Chapman is an entrepreneur and a blogger on topics related to employment background checks and human resources.  Kandi is President and Founder of MBI Worldwide, a global employment screening company.  She is a recipient of the Silver Eclipse Award for implementing a positive company culture within her organization, and was honored as one of St. Louisans Top 100 People To Know To Succeed In Business in 2015.