When choosing a company to work for, it’s best to look for one that has a positive culture. In general, these businesses are much more pleasant to work for, as they make an effort to make sure their employees feel supported and content in their roles.
Signs of a Positive Company Culture
Fortunately, there are ways to tell what a company’s culture is like before you agree to work there. Read on to find out how to identify the signs of a positive company culture.
Benefits Employees Really Want
Just about every business offers their workers benefits like sick days, personal time off, health insurance and a 401K plan. However, more businesses are now offering extra perks to keep their staff happy, including things like flexible working hours, the ability to work from home, bonuses, and profit sharing. If the company goes above and beyond with their benefits, they are more likely to have a positive culture.
Turnover is Low
One question to ask during the interview process involves employee turnover. If a majority of the staff has been there for years, then the company more than likely has a positive culture that aids in retaining staff.
High turnover can signal a poor company culture. For example, the pay might be too low, the hours might be too intense or there may be dissent among the various departments. People who enjoy working at a company tend to stay there, while those who can’t deal with a negative culture often find other jobs fairly quickly.
The Workforce is Diverse
Another sign to look for is the diversity of the employees. Look at the demographics of the people who work there, specifically those in leadership roles. Companies with a positive culture tend to be more inclusive and hire people based on their talent, skills and diverse viewpoints they can bring to the role.
Open Communication
Communication can turn a good company into a great one. Whether the business has implemented a communications policy that keeps everything flowing properly or there’s been a solid communicative stance since day one, communication is crucial, so everyone in the company knows what’s going on with various initiatives and projects. Businesses that don’t communicate often fail, as they are less efficient and productive.
Professional Development is Encouraged
Maybe a company pays for their employees to take professional development classes. Or, maybe there is a policy in place that includes tuition reimbursement for employees who want to go back to school and get a degree in a subject that will benefit the business.
All of these are signs of a positive company culture. The people running the business want their workers to grow and develop into leaders, not stagnate doing the same job forever. Asking about professional development in an interview can help you gauge whether or not these policies exist.
Employees are Recognized for Their Accomplishments
Employee recognition is a very positive thing. Simple praise can go a long way toward making a worker feel valued. Some businesses go beyond that and hold year-end parties where they give out awards to employees who they feel have done an excellent job that year or have met or exceeded their sales quotas.
Other ways to recognize employees include naming an employee of the month, awarding workers with monetary gifts like bonuses or stock options and more. A company with a positive culture does these things because they appreciate what their employees have done for the business.
