The words “good company culture” get thrown around often, but what exactly does it feel like to work in an environment that boasts good culture?

A good company culture is first determined by your thoughts first thing in the morning. How do you feel about going to work today? Are you excited? Do you look forward to it? Is it somewhere easy to spend your time?

“You have to be a place that’s more than a pay check for people.”– Rick Federico, CEO of P.F.Changs

Establishing a good culture in a business comes down to 3 important things:

Smiles and laughter

Ensuring your staff are happy is the vital first step. Happiness is not only the key to life, but also the key to productivity. So, what do your staff need to be happy? Can you offer them free snacks, weekly lunch outings, bonuses, a dance break in the middle of the day (we literally do this), flexible work hours, a desk plant, a gym membership, extended holiday leave? Whatever it might be, make sure you can afford it and then make sure your team always feel appreciated!

Set kind, all-encompassing company values and stick to them

Know what your company values are, set them in stone and make sure everyone in the business knows them. And then ensure you maintain them to the highest degree. People need to feel safe, supported and secure in their positions – setting clear company values and adhering to them is key.

Be innovative and open to change

If something isn’t working (a process, a system, a method) be willing and open to accept feedback from your team and alter where necessary. Look for innovative and creative approaches to remedy issues in order to keep staff interested and engaged.

Creating and maintaining a good company culture is what attracts and maintains staff. The best way to see if you’re doing this well is to look at your turnover rate – how long are your employees staying with you? If it’s short lived, then you have some thinking to do!

“The reason why we’ve built a company is because I think a company is by far the best way to get the best people together and align their incentives around doing something great.” – Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook.

Written by Social Gopher.