15 Activities To Foster Corporate Culture

Organisations are made up of people, and corporate culture is the personality of an organisation. It's what makes your company unique, and it's what attracts (or repels) customers, employees, and partners.

A strong corporate culture is essential to a company's success. It can help you attract top talent, retain employees, reduce turnover, and boost productivity. Corporate culture is also a major factor in determining whether or not customers will do business with you.

Creating and maintaining a strong corporate culture can be a challenge, but it's worth the effort. 

Here are 15 activities you can do to foster corporate culture:

  1. Hire for cultural fit.

  2. Define your core values.

  3. Communicate your culture to employees and customers.

  4. Promote a positive work-life balance.

  5. Encourage employee feedback.

  6. Celebrate milestones and successes.

  7. Invest in employee development.

  8. Encourage teamwork and collaboration.

  9. Promote healthy competition.

  10. Support community involvement.

  11. Offer perks and benefits that align with your culture.

  12. Encourage open communication.

  13. Model the behaviour you want to see from employees.

  14. Be consistent in your actions and words.

  15. Foster a sense of belonging.

Let's take a look at each point in more detail.

1. Hire for cultural fit.

From the very beginning, you need to make sure you're hiring employees who will be a good fit for your company culture. The best way to do this is to clearly define your corporate culture and use it as a criterion in the hiring process.

2. Define your core values.

Core values are the guiding principles of your organisation - they dictate how you do business and how you relate to employees, customers, and partners. Defining your core values is an essential step in creating a strong corporate culture.

3. Communicate your culture to employees and customers.

Your employees need to know what your company culture is all about, and they need to be able to articulate it to customers and other stakeholders. Make sure you're communicating your culture clearly and consistently, both internally and externally.

4. Promote a positive work-life balance.

One of the most important aspects of corporate culture is creating an environment where employees can maintain a healthy work-life balance. When employees feel like they have a good work-life balance, they're more productive, engaged, and satisfied with their jobs.

5. Encourage employee feedback.

Employee feedback is essential for maintaining a strong corporate culture. Employees need to feel like their voices are being heard, and they need to know that their input is valued. Encourage employees to give feedback on a regular basis, and make sure you're acting on their feedback.

6. Celebrate milestones and successes.

Another important way to maintain a strong corporate culture is to celebrate milestones and successes, both big and small. This helps employees feel appreciated and motivated, and it reinforces the positive aspects of your company culture.

7. Invest in employee development.

Investing in employee development is essential for any organisation, but it's especially important if you want to maintain a strong corporate culture. When you invest in employee development, you're showing employees that you're committed to their growth and development. This helps create a culture of lifelong learning, which is essential for any organisation that wants to stay ahead of the curve.

8. Encourage teamwork and collaboration.

Teamwork and collaboration are essential for any organisation, but they're especially important if you want to create a strong corporate culture. Encouraging teamwork and collaboration helps employees feel like they're part of a team, and it helps foster a spirit of cooperation.

9. Promote healthy competition.

A little healthy competition can be a good thing - it can help employees stay motivated and focused on their goals. But you need to be careful not to promote too much competition, as this can lead to negative consequences such as reduced morale and increased turnover.

10. Support community involvement.

Community involvement is another important way to foster a strong corporate culture. When employees are involved in their community, they feel a sense of pride and ownership in their company. This helps create a strong bond between employees and the organisation, which is essential for any strong corporate culture.

11. Offer perks and benefits that align with your culture.  

The perks and benefits you offer to employees should align with your company culture. For example, if you have a culture that emphasises health and wellness, you might offer employees discounts on gym memberships or healthy food options. You can also consider using employee rewards software to manage it more efficiently.

12. Encourage open communication.

Open communication is essential for any organisation, but it's especially important if you want to create a strong corporate culture. Encouraging open communication helps employees feel like they can voice their opinions and concerns, and it helps create an environment of trust.

13. Model the behaviour you want to see from employees.

As the leader of your organisation, you need to set the tone for your company culture. If you want employees to act a certain way, you need to model that behaviour yourself. Employees will take their cues from you, so it's important to lead by example.

14. Be consistent in your actions and words.

It's important to be consistent in your actions and words if you want to maintain a strong corporate culture. When employees see that you're walking the talk, they're more likely to buy into your company culture and live up to your expectations.

15. Foster a sense of belonging.

A sense of belonging is essential for any strong corporate culture. When employees feel like they belong, they're more likely to be engaged and invested in their work. There are many ways to foster a sense of belonging, but one of the most important is to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and respected.

There You Have It

Creating and maintaining a strong corporate culture isn't easy, but it's essential for any organisation that wants to be successful. By taking the time to invest in your company culture, you'll create an environment that attracts and retains top talent and that helps your organisation achieve its goals.