7 Easy Ways to Create a Better Work Culture

Is it fair to say we’ve reached a point where leaders that actually care about their employees aren’t considered rare?

4 min. read

Is it fair to say we’ve reached a point where leaders that actually care about their employees aren’t considered rare? In recent years, the conversation around employee satisfaction and well-being has definitely been growing.

Much of the talk has focused on the long-term changes needed to build a better work culture — and for companies that need a cultural overhaul, that’s great. But what are you supposed to do in the short term? What can you do to make your company a better place to work this week?

The following suggestions won’t take much effort, but could go a long way in making your team a happier one.

Creating a Better Work Culture:

1. Provide ways for employees to recognize one another.

In my experience, people want to help their colleagues at work. They want to answer questions, offer advice and step in when they see somebody struggling with an overwhelming workload. And when employees go above and beyond to be helpful, the beneficiaries of their support should have a meaningful way to recognize them.

At one of my past jobs, every employee had an envelope with their name on it tacked to the wall. We were encouraged to write notes of gratitude and thanks for our peers and place them in these envelopes. A simple thing, but you’d be surprised how much a brief, handwritten note can mean. Whenever I received one, I experienced an emotional boost that propelled me through the next chunk of my day.

The benefits of a gratitude channel don’t stop with employees, either: 41% of companies that promote peer-to-peer recognition have seen higher levels of customer satisfaction. It’s a win-win.

2. Give employees the chance to work remotely.

If your company is already on the telecommuting bandwagon, great. If not, is it because you think employees who work from home are more likely to slack off? Because the numbers suggest otherwise: Remote workers actually produce 43% more business volume than in-office workers.

Beyond that, employees who have a chance to work from home experience 25% less stress. It makes sense, right? When you’re working toward an important deadline, or preparing for a critical upcoming meeting, the comforts of home can provide a calming presence.

3. Open up the books.

Don’t know what open-book management is? In essence, it’s the practice of making your company’s key financial numbers — revenue, expenses, profit, etc. — available to the entire team. Each employee is responsible for tracking and improving particular metrics, which empowers them to make an impact on the bottom line.

Certain leaders might be wary of spreading responsibilities so widely, but the results tend to reinforce the value of open-book management. Only 30% of American workers report feeling engaged at work, but according to Bill Fotsch and John Case — the latter of whom coined the phrase “open-book management” — this unusual management practice can double or triple that number.

4. Offer snacks.

Maybe this one sounds silly, but who doesn’t love a good snack? 66% of employees who work for snack-happy companies say they’re very or extremely happy with their job.

Do I need to say anything more? It’s time for a Costco run.

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5. Schedule team-building activities outside of work.

It’s in our nature as human beings to connect — we want to share experiences, make friends and have fun together. And while this can happen to an extent at work, a focus on the tasks at hand often limit our chances to really get to know one another.

That’s why it’s so important to create opportunities for your team to get together outside the office: A baseball game, a happy hour, maybe a Saturday dedicated to community service. Whatever the occasion, it will give your employees total permission to talk about their interests outside of their roles. This kind of camaraderie helps forge deeper and more meaningful relationships.

6. Find a way to make your core values more visible.

Core values mean different things to different companies. For some, they’re abstract ideals meant to spark conversations. For others, they might be more concrete — guidelines for how to serve customers or clients. Whatever the case, they’re your values because they matter to your company.

That said, putting them on a poster and hanging it on a wall isn’t going to do much. If you want your core values to permeate your company culture, you’ll need to find a way for your employees to really engage with them. At Torrent, we post value-specific shout-outs on Salesforce Chatter whenever we want to recognize a teammate for a particular behavior. The recipient of that shout-out then receives a decal to display on their computer.

Though this is a relatively new practice, we’re already seeing positive results in how it keeps us thinking about Torrent’s core values.

7. Cut back on meetings.

Do you ever feel like your constant barrage of meetings is detrimental to your actual work? If so, the numbers back you up: in the US, we waste $37B in unnecessary meetings every year.

By instituting policies that mandate fewer or shorter meetings, you’ll give valuable time back to your employees. Beyond the financial gain, employees will likely feel more productive and less stressed.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it gives you a few ideas to start implementing immediately. Click below to get a checklist version that you can keep on hand as you get started.

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Danielle Sutton