New Year, New Company Culture

Creating a great company company culture is one of the most pressing priorities for organisations of all shapes and sizes in 2022.

Because it’s a ‘nice to have’? No, because leaders are increasingly recognising that a great culture is essential to the successful running of any organisation in the 21st century.

The New Year – be it 2022 or any other year – is about new beginnings. Not so much ‘wiping the slate clean’ as an opportunity to start afresh or build on something positive with renewed energy.

Read on to find out why 2022 will be the perfect year to shape a new company culture that will generate success for your business in so many ways, be it in terms of productivity, profitability, recruitment, retention of talent or brand building. 

What Is Company Culture?

There is no set definition for ‘company culture’.

At one time, it was perceived to be about having funky offices with clever slogans, Einstein quotes plastered across walls, duvet days, beer fridges, on-site gyms, canteens and pool tables.

Or leadership style. A high octane CEO whose energy and ideas-led approach would filter down through the organisation, and inspire everyone to try to be more like him or her. Think Steve Jobs and the Apple adhocracy, for instance.

But it goes a lot deeper than that, in reality. Company culture boils down to a shared set of values and behaviours that everybody buys into which shapes a work environment that breeds happiness, high performance and real loyalty.

It’s about cultivating success and growth by:

• Having a shared direction and vision which makes everyone pull in the same way at all times
• Giving everyone at every level a real ‘voice’, and the freedom to question things when they don’t understand or agree with them
• Eliminating negative behaviours or attitudes, and replacing them with positive ones
• Building mutual trust, respect and support
• Being able to rely on 100% operational honesty from everyone
• Enabling people to live more balanced and fulfilling lives

Company Culture Will Be Critical To Business Success In 2022

Very few factors contribute more to business success than a great culture, and it is clear that culture sets the basis for tangible business growth. 

Companies with strong cultures have seen a 400% increase in revenue growth in recent years, and companies which feature on Fortune’s annual 100 Best Companies to Work For list also see higher average annual returns, with cumulative returns as high as 495%.

And, as the workplace continues to rapidly evolve, organisations face the challenge of:

• Attracting new talent to support their growth plans

• Retaining the people that have helped build and maintain the success built over these extraordinary two years

For instance, organisations are faced with the looming threat of ‘The Great Resignation’, whereby staff at all levels are resigning in their millions because they’re confident that they can get better job satisfaction elsewhere with employers that recognise and properly support their needs. 

And of course, that’s all about company culture.

Therefore, if companies want to become or remain successful in 2022 and beyond, culture and the needs of their people are going to have to be at the forefront of their minds.

Why The Pandemic Has Changed The Way We Work Forever

When the majority of the world went into complete lockdown in 2020, we saw companies adopt – out of necessity rather than choice – new ways of working.

And, in spite of the doubters, working from home and remote working was a huge success from a business delivery perspective. ‘Zoom’ and ‘Teams call’ became part of the international vernacular, and leaders were surprised by how productive people could be.

The pandemic, once and for all, proved that people could be trusted and relied on to excel when working from home or in remote locations.

But, whereas employers very much had the ‘whip hand’ in the first phase of lockdown because employees were desperately clinging to their jobs in the face of predicted mass unemployment, the tables were soon turned by some new and unexpected factors. 

1. Burn out

It wasn’t necessarily the fault of employers, but what they failed to take into account was that people quickly ‘burn out’ when too much is expected of them and the lines between work time and free time become blurred. 

2. Flexibility

In contrast, employees who were able to deliver high quality work on or ahead of deadlines because they had fewer distractions to contend with found themselves with more time to themselves. 

Time that they could spend with the kids, relaxing, doing the things they like, exercising and looking after their mental health.

And these same people soon realised that they not just ‘liked’ having this flexibility in their lives but that it was now a non-negotiable.   

3. Explosion in the global jobs market

Most of us expected the pandemic to result in mass unemployment. But the reverse has actually happened, as forward-thinking companies quickly adapted, pivoted and thrived. 

Remote and home working weren’t just temporary necessities – they were actually the future because organisations could recruit talent from all over the world who could be trusted and relied upon to do a great job while living more balanced lives.

Your Company Needs To Develop A Great Culture In 2022 

Business is thriving.

And an obvious by-product of that growth is more recruitment. 

But, while this is exciting for some businesses with cultures that attract and retain talent, the global remote jobs market explosion is a serious threat to companies that refuse to move with the times and give employees the balance they need in their lives.

Culture is important to employees because human nature dictates that people are more likely to enjoy work when their needs and values are consistent with those of their employers. 

If you work somewhere where the culture is a good fit for you and the balance you need in your life, you’ll be happier and therefore more productive. 

On the flipside, if you’re not happy where you are, not only will your performance levels drop but there are tonnes of remote and flexible opportunities out there in a candidate-led global jobs market fuelled by the workplace revolution.

Are you looking to build a great company culture in 2022?

Tribe365 has the experience and a unique set of methodologies to ensure that your cultural transformation goes entirely to plan Speak to Dan, Oliver or Charles on +44 (0) 1325 734 847 or email team@tribe365.co to find out more