By Calisha Spencer, Human Resource Practitioner
Whenever I am given an opportunity to interview for a position, at the end, when asked if there are any questions, before getting down to dollars and cents, my first question is always, “Tell me a bit about the organisation’s culture”. I have had many eyebrows raised as it is always the last thing on a recruiter’s mind. And, in most cases it is never even a thought! Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, culture shapes and is the foundation of any organisation.
What is company culture? Company culture is a shared set of values, attitudes, and practices that characterise how an organisation operates both internally and externally. Every company has different goals, expectations, and norms – and culture describes howthe company goes about setting and achieving these. In a sense, culture can be thought of as the “personality” of an organisation.
When people say they want to build a “good” or “positive” company culture, they often mean they want to foster a healthy culture (as opposed to a toxic one). Hmmm, we’ll all say immediately after reading this definition, recounting a negative work experience, whether past or present. It’s important to remember that there are as many cultures as there are organisations. The differences may be subtle, but every organisation’s culture is unique. It’s important to note that company culture encompasses much more than free massages, Summer Fridays, lunch meetings or other trendy employee perks. A strong organisational culture requires much more than that.
Good company culture encompasses the following:
- Accountability – When accountability is a part of organisation culture, people take responsibility for their actions while also honestly acknowledging areas of improvement.
- Transparency – an open and honest work environment where employees trust and have confidence in each other and leadership.
- Open Communication – Innovation and collaboration require that employees feel psychologically safe enough to voice their concerns, ask for and give honest feedback, and resolve conflict through conversation.
- Values-based decision-making – When companies use their values to guide internal and external decisions, it enables individuals to confidently and autonomously make important decisions.
- Leading by example – Company culture can deteriorate if people, especially leadership, don’t live up to the organisation’s professed values.
A practical example or case study of a company globally recognized for having a good organizational culture is American Express.
American Express’ HR strategy is based on three pillars – “deliver a great colleague experience, grow the best talent, and develop new ways of working to unlock enterprise value”. Tying these together is their commitment to deliver a great colleague experience every day which has enabled them to execute successful Colleague Wellness and Rewards & Recognition through their Reward Blue initiative.
For HR, improving or changing organisational culture can feel like a daunting chore that nobody wants to touch, but there are many tools to help – and employee surveys are the best place to start.
Suggest an article: [email protected]
