Dive Brief:
- A new CultureIQ poll shows that, when it comes to culture, employees at companies with high-performing cultures care most about support, work environment and mission and value alignment. The Top Company Cultures 2017 list polled 28,371 employees from a cross-section of companies based on size, industry, product and service to determine which cultural elements were most important.
- The poll found that leaders account for the difference between positive and negative cultures. Leaders are responsible for an organization's values, mission and positive behaviors, according to CultureIQ.
- Employees at organizations with positive cultures scored significantly higher scores in follow-up statements on leadership caring, confidence and listening, the poll showed.
Dive Insight:
Culture is a driving force for organizations and can be either engaging or toxic for employees. Employers should use the poll results in their efforts to discern a list of positive cultural attributes, adapting those attributes to create their own positive environments.
A positive culture has so many elements; besides social awareness trends like inclusivity, organizations should always stress the need for open and truthful communication and overall transparency.
HR departments can also engineer cultural change through benefits offerings, especially those that support physical and mental wellness, career training and employee recognition. Indeed, managers should establish frequent one-on-one conversations as opposed to infrequent check-ins to give workers an avenue for their own input — not just to hear critiques of their work.
There's also the obvious need for ethical behavior and trust, although too many organizations have earned public scrutiny for their handling of these principles. Above all, if employees don't feel they have an advocate or a safe harbor in HR, they're not likely to rave about company culture.
