Company culture is vital to a business. It’s what sets the tone for how employees interact with each other and customers, how they view their work, and whether they stay with the company. Employees around the world have different opinions on their company cultures.

HRIS Software company Cezanne HR conducted a survey of 1,000 employees in the UK and Ireland to find out what employees’ perceptions are about the state of their company culture of the companies they work.

On a scale of 1-10, nearly 25% consider it less than ok, while 4.8% think that their company’s culture was excellent. These statistics highlight just how important having a good work-life balance really is for everyone and not just those in management positions.

You can see here for the full infographic results from Cezanne.

Why might employees perceive company culture to be not great but not terrible either?

In any business, it is essential to have satisfied employees who feel content with their company and their position. This can be a tricky balance to strike, as employees who are too satisfied may become complacent, while those who are unhappy may become disgruntled and less productive.

However, there is a sweet spot in the middle where employees view their company as not great but not terrible either. These employees could be the most engaged and motivated, as they feel that there is room for improvement but also appreciate the good things about their job.

As a result, businesses should strive to create an environment where employees feel ‌they are valued, but also that there is room for growth. Only then will they be able to attract and keep the best talent. There are a few considerable factors that affect employees’ perspectives, a key one being company culture.

Key Components that Could Change a Company’s  Culture to an Excellent One:

1. Remote Working

Allowing people to work remotely can have some significant benefits, such as increased flexibility and freedom with your work schedule and location; the ability to create a better work/life balance by eliminating commute times and office distractions; and the potential to increase your productivity by being in an environment that suits your needs.

However, companies will need to take great consideration and care in how they go about implementing their remote working policies and think about whether employees can remotely work either 2 or 3 days a week, since if companies were fully remote, then that could have a detrimental impact on company culture levels.

From Cezanne’s survey, 55% of employees revealed ‌they felt that remote working did not harm company culture, though 31% felt that remote working was outright harming their relationships with colleagues.

2. Leadership

One of the most important aspects of company culture is leadership. After all, they set the tone for the entire organisation. If you have poor leadership, your company culture will probably suffer as a result.

A good leader should be someone trustworthy, supportive, and motivates their team to be the best they can be. If you have a leader who meets these criteria, you’re well on your way to having a great company culture.

30.3% of UK and Ireland employees placed importance on their manager’s behavior, and 25.9% considered it crucial for managers to foster positive company culture as they felt it was their responsibility to do so.

3. Better Communication

Effective communication is the foundation of a strong working relationship. It helps to build trust, promote understanding, and create a sense of shared purpose. When management takes the time to communicate openly and candidly with employees, it sends a simple message that their voices matter and that they are valued members of the team.

This can help to engage employees and foster a positive working environment. So if you’re looking to improve your company culture, better communication should be at the top of your list.

Conclusion

Employees in the UK and Ireland view their company culture as “poor to OK.” While this may not be the most desirable outcome, it is important for businesses to understand how their employees feel about work culture. Improving company culture can result in happier, more productive employees.

There are a few ways discussed above that could turn your employee’s view and change it from “poor to excellent.” Businesses should focus on these areas if they want to improve their company culture. Communication, leadership, employee retention, and employee feedback are all key factors in creating a positive work environment.

Photo via Unsplash

.

.