Are You Happy With Your Company Culture & Work Environment?

When you enter an office, clinic, restaurant, store or business establishment, one of the first things that you will notice is its ambience. Is the place clean and well-maintained? Are the people friendly or formal? Is the pace fast or laidback?

All of these represent a company’s culture---the values, customs and way of life of a particular workplace---critical factors that lead to Job Satisfaction, as well as Customer Satisfaction.

JOB SATISFACTION

If you are a Job Seeker, you may want to look into a company’s culture before accepting a job offer from them. Are the company’s premises conducive for work? Will you be comfortable working with the current employees and even managers of the company? Do you believe in what the company stands for?

When I interview applicants, I often ask for the reason why they left their previous employment. Quite a number of them have mentioned that the main reason why they left their previous company is that they were not happy with their jobs due to bosses shouting at them, “tsismis” (gossip) or politics. In short, they didn’t like the culture.

On the other hand, employees who are happy with their co-workers and bosses tend to stay longer in the company. In cases where other companies try to pirate them with a slightly higher salary offer, they will think more than twice before jumping ship. Happy employees tend to stick with their company because they already have it good. Why leave a place and people that you have come to love?

So you see, Job satisfaction is really not just about compensation. It is also about belonging and enjoying your work and the people you work with. A strong company culture and good work environment gives you that.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

A company's culture is greatly influenced by its management. How the bosses conduct themselves will ultimately be mirrored by the team. For instance, if the management is customer-oriented and conducts business in a professional yet personal way, chances are, you will find their employees acting the same way.

This is evident whenever I visit a private doctor's clinic. I can tell immediately even without meeting the doctor if the s/he has good bedside manners and really cares for the patient. All I do is observe how their secretaries deal with customers and I'll know what the doctor will be like and whether I will continue to see this doctor.

Because customers relate and ultimately come to trust a company due to its culture, building a good Company Culture that leads to a great Corporate Image is a vital function of HR and should not be shoved over to the Marketing Department to invent on its own. Ultimately, a well-defined and practiced culture will greatly increase a company's success... and HR practitioners have a major role in this.

SO HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A STRONG COMPANY CULTURE?

First, Build the Foundation
As a Training and Consultancy firm, we help many of our clients design and inculcate their Vision, Mission and Values (VMV). We assist them in preparing their Company Policies, Employee Orientation and Training Programs. We insist in full management and team support. You don't just write this stuff and expect others to read and follow. Getting people's “Buy In” is key, and the best way to get this is to include them in the process.

Second, Recruit People with the Same Values
Unless your company's primary preference is diversity, it is best to find people whose values and competencies are in line with the company. Some companies employ a competency-based recruitment system with special emphasis on Behavioral Values. Since they started practicing this type of recruitment and selection process, they have noticed that their team is more in sync and work better together.

Third, Train Your People
There are many ways that you can train and orient your people about your company’s values. In our company, we have an automated process for orienting new employees. We conduct a 4-part interactive webinar with quizzes. Then we follow it up with some Coaching, Company sponsored seminars and On-the-Job Training. By constantly training and emphasizing our values, we continuously develop a culture of progress and understanding.

Fourth, Manage Performance
Once, you've selected and trained your employees, you need to constantly ensure that they are performing well and that they are upholding the values of the company. Here you want to build programs that will help you increase productivity and create a system that allows you to track, monitor and evaluate employee's performance. Giving Feedback regularly is a powerful way to manage and increase your team's performance.

Lastly, Reward Your Employees
This is the fun part of the job, developing innovative and cost-effective programs that will make employees happy. There are so many exciting ways you can motivate your employees and keep your culture alive. Aside from an attractive compensation and benefits structure, create fun HR programs that reward good deeds and give incentives to star performers. People who have fun are generally more satisfied with their jobs.

A strong and healthy company culture leads to job satisfaction among employees and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Whether you are an employer, employee or HR practitioner, be sure to contribute and build a happy workplace.

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on HR Management, Business Solutions and Corporate Skills Development. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com

7 Ways to Spice Up the Workplace

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES A DULL WORKPLACE… So in our company, we have been engaging in a few affordable programs for instant fun and camaraderie that develops the team in mind, body and spirit.

As an HR practitioner, this is my favorite part of the job---organizing employee engagement activities. It’s one area of HR Management that you can really get creative and generate a lot of excitement for your company. These HR events and projects promote work-life balance as they are welcomed breaks from the daily grind of work. It does wonders in energizing the team and letting everyone have fun.

Let me share with you seven quick and easy HR projects that you can start in your company to spice up your workplace.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

Movie Nights are great for department get-togethers or companies with a lean team. It can be a free benefit for all or it can even be used as a reward for team performance. Some big companies have it on a larger scale. One of the biggest companies in the IT-BPO industry in the Philippines treats their employees to regular movie nights. They actually rent movie theaters for their employees for a few nights, like a premiere. Yes, they are lucky enough to have the budget for it. And best of all, they have their management's support.

Although there's additional cost involved in holding movie nights, our own quarterly company movie nights are well worth it. It gives everyone a chance to spend a little leisure time with co-workers and it gives our team something to look forward to.

DVD CLUB

If there's no budget for Movie Nights, a great alternative is to start a Video or DVD Club. In our office, we have a simple, self-regulating club wherein any employee can donate and borrow DVDs from the list for free. They can borrow 3 titles in any given time by filling up a borrower's log and they must return them for inventory checking by the end of the month. It’s a way to help people relax and unwind in the comfort of their own home with their families.

ACTIVE SPORTS

Most people with desk-bound jobs more often than not have sedentary lifestyles. And as we know, this lack of physical activity causes stiff muscles, slower metabolism and the big O---obesity. Having elevators in the office does not help us to become healthier either.

So from time to time, you can organize sports days or even sports festivals. If your company has the facilities, you can even get volunteers to lead the Sports Club. All you need are a few balls, rackets, water and willing souls.

BOOKWORMS’ CORNER

Meanwhile, for employees who aren't really into sports but are more into books, you can create own your Company Library wherein employees can donate and borrow books. For our company, we've manage to collect many personal and professional development books, crafts books, cookbooks and marketing books that any of our employee can read. And very much like the DVD Club, we've set it up so that it is self-regulating. For companies with a small group of employees, self-regulation works. For big companies, you may have to assign someone to regulate your library.

PRAYER MOMENTS

There are some companies who offer bible studies, prayer groups or masses/worship
…okay, this may be a bit controversial as these activities may cause some conflict if there are differing and passionate views about religion. It is not for everyone and it should be treated with caution. You can do this only if your employees are willing and have the same general beliefs. You have to take into account your company's culture, as well as the sensitivities of people. So do this only if everyone is okay with it.
In our company, simply praying together and respecting each others' religion (without necessarily arguing about religious beliefs) are encouraged for spiritual growth.

FUN MINI-SEMINARS

Aside from the Professional Training that your company invests in, you can also conduct stress relief workshops and seminars. As a training company, we have conducted several non-work related mini-seminars for top companies in the Philippines. From craft workshops like bead crafting, balloon making and gift baskets, to special interest seminars such as Parenting, Hobbies and Sideline Businesses and Money Management, some of our clients have invested in the personal development of their employees. As a result, they are able to keep their employees happy and retain them longer.

SINGING IDOLS

Filipinos are one of the most talented people in the world. Singing tops the talent list and what better way to have fun than to sing your heart out as a group. Why not organize Your Own “Company Idol” or Karaoke Night. This need not be expensive. You can do this as an event in a karaoke place or you can even have it in your own premises by bringing in some magic mics or karaoke dvds. Just make sure that your karaoke nights will not be a problem with your neighbors… You still need to retain your dignity for the next day.

Employee Engagement activities are helpful projects that keep things fun in the office. If you are a business owner or an HR practitioner, do look into encouraging work-life balance in your company by organizing activities that’s not just about work. If you are an employee, you may suggest these to your employers or even initiate some of these affordable projects yourself. After the fun and excitement of it all, you will get the best reward through the happy faces of your team and their sincere thanks. It makes all the hard work of HR worth it.


Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. They conduct seminars on Corporate Skills Development, HR Management, Hobbies & Sideline Mini-Seminars, and Employee Retirement Programs. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com