Roughly 58% of employees say that company culture has more to do with their job satisfaction than pay. In other words, creating a positive work environment increases your odds of employee retention than, say, offering a yearly bonus.
Most organizational leaders understand the importance of positive company culture, though they may not know how to foster one. The solution is closer than you think!
Your human resource department can do far more than hire and fire. They can play an instrumental role in creating employee satisfaction and making your organization a fulfilling, engaging place to work.
Read on to find out more about how to revamp your human resource department to improve your company culture.
What Is Company Culture?
Company culture refers to the personality and environment of a company. It refers to everything from the day-to-day operations of a company to the company's mission and values.
In order to create a positive company culture, it's crucial that your employees feel essential, appreciated, and engaged. Open lines of communication and acknowledgment of good work go a long way in this regard.
One thing to keep in mind is that company culture is not one size fits all. Upper management can influence a company's culture but it's equally as important to hire people who are a good cultural fit. For example, if your company culture involves an emphasis on teamwork, someone who prefers to work independently may not appreciate your work environment.
Now, let's take a look at how your human resource department can help craft a positive company culture.
How Can Human Resources Contribute to Company Culture?
For many companies, the human resource department is the most reliable go-between for employees and their employers. They are there to address problems, provide solutions, and ensure satisfactory outcomes. To understand exactly how this relates to company culture, let's break down some of the jobs your human resources can tackle.
Assessing the Mission
What are your short and long-term goals? Who is in charge of making sure those goals are met and how well are they accomplishing them?
In the throes of running a business, it's easy to lose sight of the mission or determine whether or not your company is on track. Your human resource department works closely with all of your employees and hears their concerns as well as their triumphs. This puts them in a perfect position to assess the state of your business and your employees' strengths. They can then restructure your goals and plans if necessary.
Providing Clarity and Guidance
Giving your employees direction not only improves their success rate but can increase their confidence. When tasks or goals are unclear, your employees may feel disheartened or frustrated. While you don't want to enter the territory of micromanagement, you don't want to leave everyone in the dark, either.
Designate training and mentoring roles to your human resource department. In addition, rely on them to communicate any policy changes your HR leader can also serve as a coach to management. That way, management will be on the same page and understand what and how to communicate when the need arises.
Ensuring Performance Management
A recent study found that employees who feel that their voices are heard are 4.6 times more likely to produce good work. Having some level of input and creative control tends to give people a greater sense of pride in their work and encourages them to put their best foot forward.
Human resource departments that effectively manage the performance management process have a unique opportunity to hone in on each employee's strengths and further their professional growth. Individualizing performance management allows employees to maximize their potential and share their own ideas for the company's benefit.
Addressing Internal Issues
Unfortunately, incidents may occur in any organization, leading to negative feelings or discomfort at work. Whether they arise from inappropriate behavior or miscommunication, a good human resource department is equipped to handle the situation before it becomes a legal issue.
Sweeping negativity under the rug is a surefire way to taint your company culture. Employees may feel distrustful or question the integrity of upper management. Alternatively, issues that are addressed by upper-level managers may get worse if those individuals do not have the proper training or background to do so.
Allowing your well-trained human resource department to work with management to handle interpersonal issues swiftly and directly will boost morale. Conflict resolution assures your employees that their safety and comfort are important and that respect is a key component of your company culture.
Hiring Cultural Fits
As we mentioned earlier, your employees are just as crucial to maintaining a consistent company culture as your upper management. Because your human resource department helps to shape your company culture, they are well-equipped to lead the hiring process.
Your human resource department also understands that good cultural fits don't always check the same boxes. They recognize an applicant who possesses qualities that your company is lacking and that will improve upon your company culture.
How to Invigorate Your Human Resource Department
At this point, the question is not, "How can human resources improve our company culture?" Now, you may be asking, "How do we reshape our human resource department so that they can take control of our company culture?" That's where we come in!
HR TailorMade is fully equipped to be your HR department. If you have an HR department we are happy to serve as extra hands to make the culture you desire a reality. Need us to lead the culture shift and increase employee engagement? We can do that too. Our services are tailored to fit your needs.
If you're interested in our services, contact us today.
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