There’s been a lot of talk about workplace culture in the past few years with the shift to remote and hybrid workplaces. What does a successful workplace culture look like? What makes for a “good” culture at work? A lot of ideas get thrown around, and some of them are just not correct. Let’s look at three common myths about workplace culture.
Culture only matters for employee engagement
Employees that enjoy their jobs and workplace are more likely to find their work to be meaningful and therefore engage more critically in their performance. However, that’s not the only role culture plays in a corporate environment. When employees enjoy the culture at work, it helps to build a reputation for your company, bringing in new talent and making your company desirable to partner with. No one wants to work with a company that treats employees poorly and winds up in the news with bad press!
Stating core values is enough, you don’t have to achieve them.
This should seem obvious, yet it is more common than you might think. Companies cannot simply state their values, but rather must take steps to implement the kinds of values they say they believe in at the company. Simply stating your values does not create a healthy work environment or create a strong corporate culture. If there’s no action to back up the statements, no matter how positive they are, employees are not going to feel connected to the corporate culture outlined by these values.
Employees will tolerate toxic work environments for enough money.
When you look at the Great Resignation phenomenon occurring right now, it’s hard to imagine that employees that are undervalued, treated poorly, or are unhappy with their jobs are going to stay where they are. Money cannot buy happiness and it cannot buy loyalty if the workplace is toxic or unhealthy.
At the heart of all these myths is the employee experience. Treat your employees well, listen to their feedback, and involve them in corporate culture decisions, and they will stay loyal to the company.
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