How to Build a Thriving Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is an essential initiative for any business. Not only does it influence how employees interact with one another by encouraging effective collaboration, communication and mutual respect, but a strong workplace culture could be the difference between a satisfied and dissatisfied employee.

Businesses who don’t put workplace culture at the forefront of their people strategy are more likely to see higher turnover rates, employee disengagement and decreased job satisfaction. All of which can negatively impact business performance.

This initiative can take many different forms from team building to company benefits, but it all comes down to one key thing: developing employee experience and loyalty.

If you’re unsure how to get the most out of your employees by instilling a positive workplace culture, get in touch today to learn more about our corporate gifting service.

What is workplace culture?

When it comes to what makes a positive workplace culture, unfortunately it’s not a clear cut answer. That’s because it potentially means different things to different people. However, businesses can start to make a positive impact by focusing on the company’s personality and character, the workplace atmosphere and key business values.

Remember, employees are more likely to drive these values if they believe in them, so don’t forget to ask them for their feedback and insight. Similarly, be sure to include any core beliefs or values in the interviewing and onboarding process to ensure new hires are aligned.

Why corporate culture is important

Everyone wants to come to work in a positive and supportive environment. It boosts our overall wellbeing and makes the day go smoother, but studies have also shown that a positive workplace culture can improve productivity and business performance.

Findings from this 2024 study in particular, show that businesses on the ‘100 Best Companies to work for in America’ list between 1984 and 2009, outperformed the stock market by approximately 2-3% per year.

As well as employee wellbeing and productivity, a positive company culture can improve things like employee engagement, staff retention and team morale - all of which also feed into that bottom line for the business.

If you’re still on the fence about the importance of this initiative, it all comes down to the fact that if your employees are happy at work, they’re more likely to work harder and stay for longer. Meaning investing in a positive company culture benefits everyone.

How to improve company culture in 5 simple steps

If reading more about why company culture is important has got you thinking about your own strategy, but you’re not quite sure where to start - don’t worry.

Here are five simple steps for businesses to improve workplace culture:

1. Define and communicate your core values

Your company’s core values are a set of principles and beliefs that help guide business decisions. Thinking both internally and externally, these values should reflect what the company stands for, including key messages and goals and are designed to keep your employees aligned with your overall vision.

Not only is this good for the business by building trust with customers, stakeholders and partners, but employees will thank you for the steer, too. In fact, over 75% of employees view clearly-defined corporate values as being ‘very important’ when they’re considering working at a company.

How to define and communicate your core values

Personal and relevant values>. Are you keen to show your customers you are innovative and industry leaders, for example? Or maybe you’re all about transparency and trust? Whatever it is, let these key definers of your business help shape your values.

Avoid corporate clichés. Working in a corporate setting comes with a lot of jargon and buzzwords. But when circling back to your core values, avoid them at all costs. To get your employees really caring, they need to feel genuine and well thought out. Plus, cliches can lead to potential misinterpretation which can make the process redundant.

Be specific. Over corporate cliches then, opt for specific and in depth descriptions of what you mean for each value. Just a few words isn’t enough. Dig deeper and explain why they’re important and how they help drive the business forward.

Build a talented and diverse team. Employees are more likely to not get behind core values if they don’t feel like they align with what they believe the business should be doing. Including a diverse group of employees in this process can ensure you create values that appeal to everyone.

2. Focus on employee engagement

Engaged employees are generally motivated and passionate about their roles and how it feeds into the bigger picture, while also being more likely to actively contribute to the growth and success of the business. Plus, an engaged workforce is likely a happier one. Making it an essential player in building positive workplace culture.

How to engage your employees

Recognition. Employees that feel valued and rewarded for their hard work are more likely to remain engaged in the business and its mission. Rewards can be anything from shopping vouchers, a day out, bonuses or personalised feedback. If you’re unsure what is best for your employees, ask!

Open communication. The best way to engage your employees is by giving them the opportunity to provide feedback, and actioning that feedback so they know their thoughts are valued. Run regular surveys to gauge employee satisfaction, providing an anonymous option so you don’t put people off, and always be sure to have open discussions about these points in company meetings.

Effective management. More than one in four (28%) employees admit to leaving a job due to a poor relationship with management, while half of those who consider their manager to be ineffective, admit they’re planning to leave the business in the next 12 months. What does this mean? Good management key for effective employee engagement. Opt for leaders who can inspire and motivate while also not being afraid to get stuck into the day-to-day if it helps their team succeed.

Positive and inclusive leadership. If senior staff don’t provide a positive, inclusive and supportive work environment, engagement is sure to drop off. Ensure your management team is creating a safe environment for feedback and producing a positive culture within their departments.

3. Prioritise individual progression

Businesses who want to attract and retain top talent, need to provide all employees the opportunity to progress in their career, and actively support them in doing so. This is so important in fact, that data shows one in three UK workers cite a lack of progression opportunity as their reason for leaving a role.

Plus, while helping with their motivation and individual growth, this also provides the opportunity to align their goals with that of the company. A win-win.

How to prioritise individual progression

• Clear development paths. While it’s true that employees should be encouraged to contribute their own thoughts and goals to their objectives, businesses need to highlight clear paths they can take to further their career - whether that’s moving up the chain, or side stepping into new areas of the business.
• Roles and responsibilities. If an employee doesn’t know what is expected from them in order to progress, how can they work towards it? Businesses need to clearly communicate what they want to see in terms of responsibilities and expectations when it comes to developing within the business.
• Invest in training. 92% of employees think workplace training impacts their job engagement positively, while 59% think it has a positive impact on their performance. This indicates just how vital training is for employee satisfaction, workplace culture and the overall bottom line.
• Create mentorship programmes. Nine times out of 10, employees would benefit from learning from their peers, or more senior members of staff. Businesses can easily facilitate this by creating mentoring programs within the business.

4. Set aside social time

Making time for regular social activities and team-building exercises will contribute massively to workplace culture and employee engagement. In fact, 82% of UK office workers have expressed a desire for more of these events within their workplace.

That’s because it allows them to build relationships and trust with one another, while also enhancing collaboration opportunities and building a strong community amongst your team.

Consider planning an indoor or outdoor team building activity to get your team together, and allow your business to reap the benefits.

Team building ideas

• Meals out. Nothing brings people together quite like food, so why not break the ice over a delicious dining experience? Whether it’s a team lunch at one of the nation’s popular high street eats, or a fine dining dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant, your team will leave feeling connected (and full). What’s not to love?
• Comedy nights. Leave the stresses of work in the office and head out for some laughs at a team comedy night. A great option for post-work socialising or an off-site event, a comedy gig is the perfect choice for celebrating a great project or stellar quarterly results.
• Escape rooms. When it comes to team building exercises, nothing will get your team working together like an escape room. From prioritising your next move to ensure you beat the clock, to learning the importance of compromise, this is a great way to tap into workplace skills without the corporate pressures.
• Water sports. If your team prefers outdoor to indoor activities, why not get together to do some water sports? Whether it's paddle boarding, kayaking or rafting, this allows them the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone, or do a sport they love, while encouraging teamwork and moral support outside of the office.
• Adrenaline-based activities. Conquering fears and risk-taking can massively improve self-assurance in the workplace, while also boosting relationships thanks to sharing a memorable moment with your colleagues. Teams can choose between zip lines, theme parks and working together on a treetop obstacle course. Whatever activity feeds your adrenaline, getting your team out of their comfort zone is sure to improve development in the workplace too.

5. Reward and recognise employees

Recognising the efforts of your employees is essential for retaining talent and creating a positive workplace culture. So much so, research shows employees are 74% more likely to leave a business within one year, if they only receive recognition a few times per year.

How to reward and recognise employees

• Public recognition. Feeding back directly to employees is certainly valuable, but sharing recognition in department and company meetings often goes even further. Create a regular section in meetings to shout about different members of the team, and work with your department heads to share their shout-outs ahead of the session to allow for more variety in shared successes.
• Encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Businesses can introduce recognition at a peer-level too, by introducing opportunities for team members to shout each other out in front of more senior colleagues. Whether that’s in a company slack or teams channel, or weekly meetings to celebrate one another, work with your team to find the best approach.
• Presenting annual awards. Take the opportunity of a Christmas or summer get together to present fun awards which celebrate individual achievements. These shouldn’t be too serious by any means - remember to touch on the human and humour side too.
• Personalised experience gifts. Whether it’s to thank them for their long service, or to celebrate a huge win, everyone loves a gift. And what better gift than the opportunity to do something they love, or try something new? Show your appreciation with a gift card so they can choose for themselves.

Build a strong, engaged workforce with Red Letter Days Corporate

By motivating staff, driving engagement and boosting wellbeing, a positive workplace culture is crucial for employees - and the impact for businesses is just as valuable. Not only does it improve productivity and overall business performance, a good corporate culture can reduce staff turnover and help build a positive reputation in your industry.

Businesses should be conscious that no one size fits all when it comes to workplace culture, and work closely with its employees to ensure they’re getting it right. However, ensuring you have effective core values, employment engagement, development plans, recognition and social time in place, are all great places to start.

Want to make your workplace thrive even further with days out, gifts and rewards? Contact the Red Letter Days team today!