How to Develop a Strong Company Culture

A company's culture is greatly influenced by it's 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 new private doctor's clinic. I can tell immediately even without meeting the doctor if the doctor 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 Credible 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 an major role in this.

So How Do You Develop a Strong Company Culture?

First, Build the Foundation.
In our company, our management team took the time to discuss and map out our VMV---Vision, Mission and Values. We also prepared our Company Policies, HR manual and Employee Orientation Program. It was important that the whole management team take part in this endeavor. 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 people's buy in is to include them in the process. (To learn more about building a solid HR foundation for your company, you can check out books and seminars on Fundamentals of HR Management)

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's VMV. In our company, we started employing competency-based recruitment with special emphasis on Values. Since we started practicing this type of recruitment and selection process, I've noticed that our employee turnover rate has gone down. (To learn more about Effective Employee Recruitment, Retention and Selection, you can check out books and seminars near you)

Third, Train Your People
There our many ways that you can train your people. One of the most successful HR projects we have is an Automated New Employee Orientation Program. This innovative project allows us to orient an employee through a 4-part interactive webinar, so that we don't have to physically conduct the training ourselves every time there's a new employee. Any employee who is hired by us undergoes this process, then we follow it up with some Company sponsored seminars and On-the-Job Training. (To learn more, you can check out BMA's Corporate Training Services or Seminars on Training Program Development and Trainers Training Program)

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. (To learn how to build Performance Management Systems and Programs, you may read books, interview professionals and attend seminars)

Lastly, Reward Your Employees
This is the fun part of the job in HR, 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. In our company, we continuously try our best to maintain a stable compensation and benefits structure that the company can afford. We also have fun HR programs that reward good deeds and give incentives to star performers. (To learn more, check out Businessmaker Academy's Compensation & Benefits Management Seminar)

In the next posts, I will share with you Successful HR Project Ideas that you can easily implement to build a strong and happy Company Culture.

>>> Jhoanna O. Gan-So is the president and head of research and development for Businessmaker Academy. She is an educator, entrepreneur, marketing communication specialist and HR practitioner. Together with her husband, Mark So, she is committed to helping people improve their personal, professional and financial lives.