8 Tips for a Better Office Culture

Every day, are you excited to go to work, or are you counting down the minutes until you can leave? If it’s the latter, then your company’s office culture may be at fault.

Business culture consists of shared values, goals and beliefs that determine how employees do their jobs, interact with one another and treat customers. But not all office cultures are created equal. Some foster creativity, productivity and happiness — while others doom employees to a toxic work environment where burnout and turnover are commonplace.

Fortunately, there are ways to create an office culture that motivates and inspires employees. Below are

8 tips for creating a better office culture:

Encourage collaboration

In the old days, open floor plans were met with skepticism because studies showed they reduced productivity. Research has since shown that open floor plans can actually boost collaboration by facilitating interaction and communication between employees.

When designing your office space with the best culture transformation at Unique Leadership Solutions, consider ways to encourage collaboration between teams and departments. You might also consider adding collaborative spaces throughout the building where employees can have impromptu meetings or work independently on projects as needed.

Give employees privacy when they need it

Open floor plans are great for encouraging collaboration and fostering a sense of community. But sometimes, people will want a quiet place to concentrate on a challenging task or take a private phone call. Make sure there’s at least one room with soundproof walls so employees have a peaceful sanctuary from the office bustle.

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Develop a welcoming environment.

Employees will never feel at home unless you make them feel welcome. If your office is friendly and inviting, people will be more likely to get to know one another and feel comfortable with their coworkers.

Encourage open communication.

In order to be happy at work, employees need to feel like they can talk to the people in charge. This includes management and executives, who should be open to hearing suggestions from their employees and engaging them in conversations about how the company is run.

Make It Clear What Your Company’s Mission Is

One way you can make your office a better place for millennials is by making it clear what your company’s mission is and how each employee plays a part in achieving that mission. “It is important for employees to feel like they are part of something bigger,” says Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank. “The more employees feel like they are valued and making an important contribution, the more engaged they will become.”

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Be inclusive

In an office environment, it’s easy for certain people to get left out of the loop. It might be because they’re new or less experienced, or maybe they keep to themselves more than others do. As a manager, you can’t afford to let someone slip through the cracks — that’s how mistakes happen and people get frustrated

Make sure everyone knows what’s going on in the office. If a new hire is shy about asking questions, ask him yourself. If you’re a lone wolf who likes to sit quietly at his desk, accept a lunch invitation from your co-workers every now and then. Don’t let anyone feel like they are too different from everyone else at work.

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Find new ways to connect with your team

If you have an in-house employee, get to know them by asking them questions about themselves and their work. If you have remote employees, schedule weekly one-on-one meetings where they can share what they’re working on and any challenges they’re facing. You will be able to understand what’s happening in their day-to-day lives and allow you to offer solutions if they need it. If someone seems stressed out or unhappy, take some time to ask them about it so you can find out what’s causing those feelings and try to fix things together.

Hire based on values

You can’t just hire based on skills and expect your employees to share your values. If you want to create a certain type of office culture, look for candidates who embody those values and show potential for growth in specific areas. For example, if you want everyone in the office to be collaborative, look for candidates who have worked on teams and projects that required them to work closely with others.