End-of-Year Check: Does Your Company Have a Positive Culture?

As the workforce (and yes, the HR department) closes of the year, it's an ideal time for companies and key leaders to take some time to look back on the culture they've cultivated over the past twelve months at the organisation. Corporate culture, of course, influences everything from employee satisfaction to productivity and innovation.

But how do you know if you've cultivated the right culture? Use this article to find out.

Building a healthy and strong corporate culture

It's important to build a strong foundation of shared values, mutual respect, and a sense of belonging and fulfilment. As such, consider the following:

1. Recognise your employees

1. Reward and recognise employees for goal-achieving and accomplishments made during the year.
2. Bring up specific examples to ensure that employees are valued for their efforts.

2. Transparent and open dialogues

1. How were communication channels utilised throughout the year?
2. Did communication empower trust and unity in the team?

3. Prioritise employee well-being:

1. Look back on overall efforts made by the company to improve employee well-being
2. Consider the impact of these policies and initiatives on employee morale overall well-being and engagement.

4. Inclusivity and diversity

1. Conduct an assessment to review initiatives centred around inclusivity and diversity in the company.
2. Empathise with employees from all backgrounds and minorities to understand the power of inclusivity and diversity.

5. Assess HR regularly

1. The end of the year is a crucial time to assess your HR as an essential cog in the machinery to achieve business goals. Use our powerful guide to understand this better; you should also ensure that you have the right tools in place to help build the right company culture at the organisation — find out more about that here.

Culture-building tips for 2024

Now that you have a clearer understanding of the pillars of a healthy corporate culture, here are some culture-building tips to help take your company culture to the next level in 2024: 

Invest in your leaders

Your leaders are crucial to the culture at your company — some might argue, they are the most importance aspect. Be sure to invest in the right decision-makers and people managers.

Continuous feedback loops

We can't stress enough how important regular feedback mechanisms are to understand employee sentiments about the state of the culture (and the company, as a whole). Don't wait for annual check-ins — speak to your employees as regularly as you can.

Work on inclusivity

Expand initiatives that promote inclusivity, diversity, and equity within the organisation. Set measurable goals for improvement.

Prioritise work-life balance:

Assess HR policies that support a healthy work-life balance, and place an emphasis on ensuring that employees feel supported in their personal and professional lives.