In a world where we see headlines every day of ‘hiring crisis this’ and ‘great resignation that’ for businesses of any size in this current climate hiring new people and keeping the ones you have is critical.
A welcoming, fun, and encouraging company culture can be the make or break for so many employees to feel like valued members of the team. Having this in place sets a business in the best stead to not only attract new talent but also keep the existing talent it has.
Post-pandemic culture
Particularly since the pandemic shifted many of us to working in a hybrid office environment or even fully remote, it’s a completely reasonable question to ask: what even is modern-day working culture?
It’s not just about friendly banter on a conference call or free food when you’re in the office – although these are important for bringing people together – the corporate culture that I see workers’ desire now goes so much deeper than that.
Fostering and maintaining greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace is what people are calling out for to promote a broader spectrum of positive company culture.
Decency and Diversity
So, what are the first steps in building this positive culture? For me, it starts with instilling decency and diversity through every decision, at every level.
Take us at DocuWare (one of our values is in fact ‘decency’!) no matter whom we are working with, from colleagues to customers and everything in between, at each interaction – be that in person or digital – we aim to always be respectful, helpful and reliable. We truly believe this positive culture that we have built and continue to build every day, ultimately drives progression in our company and on a much bigger scale in the world around us too. It is this sense of “decency” that allows us as a company to generously give to causes we believe in – for example, we support non-profits where our employees are actively involved.
And diversity, as I’ve mentioned is a key component to building and maintaining a positive company culture throughout a business. Diversity brings with it so much insight and understanding into other human beings. In my experience it is only through diversity can we reduce unconscious bias and create positive and supportive environments that any employee would want to be a part of.
Become a culture champion
I hear you ask, who is in charge of creating and maintaining this culture? Well, the answer to this one is simple… every single person in a business is responsible. No matter the department, whether you are a junior executive or the CEO, everyone should be what I like to call a ‘culture champion’.
Culture champions challenge the inequalities they see and hear and reflect on past experiences to reduce their own biases. They are conscious of how their own behaviour sets an example for others.
Of course, HR, or in DocuWare’s case we call ourselves “People & Culture” leaders should be a driving force to champion the values of a business. However, everyone should make an effort to foster relationships and environments where all employees feel valued and respected. That’s when professional and personal growth can happen.
As we approach International Women’s Day and reflect on this year’s theme of “embracing equity” I see just how much diversity and inclusion go hand in hand with many other meaningful efforts. No matter your gender just like being a culture champion, everyone can play their part to drive a path of positive change. So, make a stand! Challenge those gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion to help forge fair opportunities and create an inclusive world for us all.
About the author
Sabina Molka is the Director of Team & Talent Development at DocuWare. She oversees the company’s global recruitment and is involved in the building and management of HR strategy, leadership and corporate culture.
