Work culture: It’s the term on every job-hunter’s lips, but how much do you actually know about creating, maintaining and identifying a positive work environment? To demystify the topic, we’re conducting a deep dive into definitions and green flags in the workplace so that you can land your next job with confidence (and avoid those nasty sunday-scaries).
What Does Work Culture Actually Mean?
Work or company culture is directly impacted by the people running the company and whom they choose to bring on board. It relates to the values of the company, the type of people who work there, how well the senior staff values newer employees and the level of morale you see exhibited by workers.
Work culture is often a make-or-break factor when job seekers choose which jobs to apply for, or when workers decide whether or not to stay with their current company. A great work culture leads to employee retention and job satisfaction, so it’s worth while ensuring your workplace isn’t dropping the ball!
Why is a Good Work Culture Important
According to Harvard University, it’s estimated that the average person will spend a whopping 90,000 hours (or one-third of their lives) at work, so it comes as no surprise that we want to feel good while we’re there!
Toxic work cultures can significantly impact our wellbeing, and what’s more, they’ve been proven to lead to low productivity and high turnover. In this sense, it’s in both the employee (you) and your employer’s best interest to ensure that your workplace is a nice place to be.
Conversely, those working in top-tier work cultures and positive environments are less prone to mental health issues, feel happier, and get more done. There was even a study that suggests that companies with positive work cultures have higher annual returns. It’s a win-win!
How Does Work Culture Affect Performance?
If we want to dive even deeper into the ways in which work culture affects performance, we have to cover all the different ways our minds can be impacted when working in a toxic workplace:
Motivation and Enthusiasm
In environments where employees are empowered, uplifted and celebrated for their accomplishments, they’re far more likely to demonstrate heightened levels of motivation! However, when they work in toxic workplaces that critique harshly, overwork employees and disregard boundaries, the opposite is true.
Job Satisfaction
When you spend your 9-5 surrounded by people who want to help you be your best self and reach your personal goals, it’s hard to feel dissatisfied with work! After all, positive work cultures create positive mindsets. Yet, in workplaces with toxic work cultures, the opposite is true. If you feel undervalued and mistreated by your employer, you’ll likely be spending your workdays dreaming of going home rather than feeling grateful.
Creativity
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when getting creative is a fear of failure. When you work in a toxic workplace, it’s almost impossible to fully embrace creative ideas and act on them. As innovation and creativity are vital for company growth, employers who don’t foster a positive work culture and encourage creativity are doing themselves a disservice!
Signs of Great Work Culture
In order to make sure you’re only considering positions at companies with a positive work culture, you need to be aware of some green flags. This way, you’ll have some qualities to look out for (and you’ll know to be cautious if these company values aren’t present).
Diversity
In order for an organisation to be considered welcoming, it needs to actively promote diversity and inclusion initiatives within its hiring process. Those that already do this are well on their way to creating a positive work culture.
Work-Life Balance
There’s nothing worse than clocking off for the day only to feel obliged to keep answering emails. Without a clear divide between work and home, employees get a one-way ticket to burnout, and that’s not something an empowering workplace would be ok with!
Supportive Leadership
Organisations with positive work cultures also have leaders who want to empower, uplift and facilitate training for newer hires. It’s important to foster positive relationships at work, and having supportive leaders helps to make that a lot easier.
Opportunities for Career Progression
Feeling stuck in one spot isn’t fun, and positive workplaces ensure that there’s always room for growth in one’s role. Whether you’re progressing through training, secondments or simply one-to-one chats with senior employees, these opportunities will make you feel like you’re working towards something meaningful.
Collaborative Environment
One of the most important parts of a positive work culture is a collaborative environment. For successful collaboration, employees need to be able to go to each other to brainstorm, get feedback, and look at problems from a fresh perspective. This is only possible if the workplace values and promotes collaboration!
What To Do When Your Work Culture is Toxic
If you’re constantly dreading the next time you’ll be in the office or find yourself walking on eggshells around coworkers, you might be dealing with a toxic workplace. Working in these kinds of environments can have some pretty nasty effects on your mental health, including high-stress levels, insomnia, and depression, so it’s important that you don’t just ignore red flags!
Instead, try to implement these strategies to navigate your toxic workplace without it taking a huge mental toll:
- Avoid Becoming Toxic Yourself
- Don’t Participate in Workplace Gossip
- Focus on What You Can Control
- Communicate Your Concerns
- Practice Self Care
And if all else fails, it might be time to find an employer who offers a positive work culture. Remember, you spend one-third of your life at work, so don’t spend it working with people who won’t recognise how amazing you are.
Work With the Best
Thankfully, finding a workplace with great work culture just became a lot easier! All of the employers that we’ve partnered with are committed to fostering positive, uplifting and empowering work environments, so what are you waiting for? Head over to our employer pages and find your perfect fit today.
