In the course of your work day, you interact with people in their work persona and maybe a few of those same people as “themselves.” If there is a big difference between the two something is terribly wrong.
An article on GreatPlacesToWork.com describing company culture says, “At its core, company culture is how things get done around the workplace. The “how” includes both the formal systems and the informal behaviors.”
Authenticity cannot be faked. The customer service agent mumbling “thankyouforyourbusiness” without enthusiasm or eye contact because it’s in the employee handbook doesn’t really give a damn about your business. You know it and they know it.
When a person behaves like this, typically one of two things occured. The company imposed a “how” that is false in its execution or the person is in the wrong job. Both contribute to a bad company culture.
The success of a business isn’t just one factor. A restaurant may have the best ribs, but if their wait staff is rude—or more likely, there is no wait staff—people will eat the second-best ribs instead. Success is a blend of doing lots of things right at the right time. Company culture is one factor too often overlooked or undervalued. And it’s the one that draws in customers and great employees.
I’ve recently had the incredible pleasure of interacting with a hard-working, amazing team of healthcare professionals. They say please and thank you. They offer warm reassurance. They smile not only to the sweet little old lady who is my mom but also to the curmudgeon in the next room who loudly swears like a drunk sailor on shore leave. I share this because these people really need to be publicly acknowledged but also because this organization has made it its mission to treat people with dignity, respect, and kindness. It’s not just lip service. It is real. Thank you Unity Meriter Hospital 9th Floor!
We will be the place where leaders want to lead, physicians want to practice, staff want a career, and patients must have their care.
Here is another example. Craig Culver, the founder of Culver’s, was out for a drive and saw a big line at the drive-thru. He stopped, went in, and started delivering food to the people waiting in the 95° heat. The people waiting had their dinner delivered by the man himself, and the line workers saw how much he values their work, and them individually, by pitching in and doing the hottest job. That’s an example of fulfilling their company mission.
‘If we can do our part to make your day better – with a wholesome, delicious meal or a heartfelt smile – we’ve done our job.”
Is it any surprise that the top of the 20 most hated companies in the world is The Weinstein Company? Want to see the list?
Recruitment is on everyone’s mind-employers and job seekers alike. No industry is immune to the lack of applicants. Obviously, the core of any job offer is the compensation package. Two positions could have similar pay and benefits but what makes a candidate choose one over the other? One big factor is-you guessed it-company culture.
In an unprecedented competitive hiring environment like this, one major advantage is to have a reputation for a great culture, fun people, and room for advancement. And to be honest, a recognized and respected name in the community. If you just landed a job in the film industry, would you be proud to say you worked for Weinstein?
What about closer to home? It wouldn’t take you five minutes to list the local companies you’ve heard stellar reviews about and not another three minutes to list the ones you’d never work for under any circumstance. Which list is your company on?
