Want to Improve Workplace Culture? Promote Friendships at Work

Are you looking for ways to improve your organizational culture? Your company may have the best product in the market, but if it struggles with low morale and high turnover, it might be time for a cultural transformation.

Here is a quick overview of what company culture is, how to define it, and cost-effective ways to create a good company culture.

What is Company Culture?

Company culture, or organizational culture, refers to the unique blend of values, beliefs, and behaviors that define an organization and influence how employees interact with each other, customers, and the community. A positive company culture is essential for business success, as it can drive employee engagement, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

In today’s competitive market, companies with a strong culture have a significant advantage in attracting and retaining top talent, improving employee satisfaction, and ultimately, achieving long-term success. By understanding the importance of company culture, organizations can take proactive steps to create a thriving workplace culture that supports their company values, mission, and goals.

Define Your Company's Core Values

Defining core values is a critical step in building a positive company culture. Company values are the guiding principles that shape an organization’s culture and inform decision-making. They should be authentic, meaningful, and relevant to the company’s mission and vision.

By establishing clear core values, companies can create a sense of purpose and direction, which can help to motivate and inspire employees. Core values can also serve as a foundation for employee recognition and reward programs, performance evaluations, and hiring practices.

Example of Company Values

As an example, here are several core company values you may want to adopt:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Selflessness
• Innovation
• Teamwork
• Trust

When core values are clearly defined and communicated, employees are more likely to feel connected to the organization and be motivated to contribute to its success.

Build a Positive Culture

Building a positive culture requires intentional effort and commitment from leadership and employees. It involves creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best work. This can be achieved through various initiatives, such as team-building activities, employee recognition programs, and opportunities for growth and development.

A positive culture also depends on open and transparent communication, where employees feel heard and informed. By fostering a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration, companies can create a positive work environment that supports employee well-being, job satisfaction, and overall business success.

Empower Employees

Empowering employees is a critical element to building a positive workplace culture. When employees feel empowered, they are more likely to take ownership of their work, be innovative, and contribute to the organization’s success.

Empowerment involves providing employees with the autonomy to make decisions, take calculated risks, and learn from their mistakes. It also involves recognizing and rewarding employee contributions, providing opportunities for growth and development, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

By empowering employees, companies can create their own company culture as one that supports employee engagement, motivation, and overall business success.

Foster Friendships

If your company has defined its core values and already empowers employees, perhaps your solution for boosting organizational culture might be as simple as friendships.

Consider this: in a 2022 Gallup poll, employees that had a “best friend” at work were more than twice as likely to recommend their company as a great place to work, 24% less likely to be looking for a new job, and more than twice as likely to state they were “extremely satisfied” with their job.

While I cannot tell you how to ensure everyone has a best friend at work, I can tell you that developing coworker relationships does not always come naturally. Sometimes employees get caught in the mundane and need a little nudge to step outside of their work funnel, while others balk at the idea of intermingling and being social while at work.

With data backing the need for strong coworker relationships, your company may need to provide opportunities for friendships to flourish and keep employees informed about the importance of these relationships. Some of those opportunities may be through company-sponsored events.

Improve Workplace Culture With Company Events

Team members can benefit greatly from employer-sponsored events, no matter how small (think: cake for a coworker’s birthday), or large (think: company outing), as these events are a great way for employees to interact with peers. It also gives them a common bond to talk about in future conversations.

Here are 10 ideas of company events you could implement to improve your company culture.

1. Game Day Rivalry

Is there a big game coming up? Have everyone in the office dress to support their team of choice! You could add a potluck lunch to the fun — or better yet, make the losers bring (or serve) lunch for the winners on the next workday. This is also a great opportunity to involve new employees, helping them to integrate and build relationships with their colleagues.

2. Sports League

In addition to cheering for the local high school, college, or professional team, form your own work team and join a sports league! Have the company purchase required jerseys and league fees and go play with (or cheer on) your colleagues outside of work each week.

Engaging in such activities can significantly boost employee performance by fostering teamwork, improving morale, and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

3. Service Project

Employees working together to provide some type of giving-back project to the community does amazing things for unity and employee morale. In contrast, a toxic workplace culture can lead to discrimination, harassment, and hostile environments, resulting in legal claims and financial penalties.

4. Paint Night

Whether or not you think you are an artist, a group paint night is a fun experience to share with coworkers. It is especially good for those left-brain number crunchers to step outside their comfort zones.

Such activities can also foster a sense of clan culture, promoting community and collaboration among team members.

5. Company Party

Summer, Halloween, Christmas, or ANY time is a great time for a company party! You could announce a simple potluck picnic, or the company could hire a Food Truck for lunch.

Hosting a costume party (be sure to review your costume party policy) with a prize for the best costume - or department theme of costumes - could bring a sense of unity and moments they will never forget. Parties could be formal or informal, held in-house after-hours or at a venue for employees to bring their +1 and mingle before and after the event.

For team-building creative events outside the workplace, you might consider options in Las Vegas that offer a blend of fun and bonding, such as exploring Atomic Golf for golf, food, and entertainment.

Whatever you do, everyone that participates will have great memories that connect them with the company for years to come. These events also reflect the company's culture, influencing how employees, customers, and vendors perceive and interact with the organization.

6. Event Tickets

Ball games, concerts, amusement parks, movies – anything goes to boost employee excitement and give employees something to look forward to beyond work.

By focusing on creating positive employee experiences, organizations can significantly enhance engagement and cultivate a thriving workplace culture.

7. Nerf Gun Wars for Team Building Activities

You do not have to be all formal with a company event. Sometimes breaking up the monotony with an unexpected nerf gun war is just the brain break your team needs! Set out the nerf guns and announce a countdown to give employees notice to close out of their current projects. Just make sure it is not on a day with big deadlines.

Activities like these contribute to a positive environment, fostering a fun and engaging workplace culture.

8. Ice Cream Social for Employee Engagement

If you do not have the time (or budget) for a team lunch and would prefer not to interrupt the middle of a workday, a Friday afternoon ice cream social on the front lawn could foster the social interaction you need to boost morale and improve coworker relationships.

Additionally, such activities contribute to a better work life balance by allowing employees to unwind and enjoy themselves outside of their regular work tasks. While you may need to encourage employees to leave their work, everyone's participation will help improve company culture.

9. Hobby Club

Allow employees with common interests to form a hobby club where they set work aside for a few minutes each week and have fun interacting. Some ideas might include a book club where they discuss the book of the week, a recipe club, an RC club where they race remote control cars, or an early morning yoga club.

Have remote workers? This would be a great way to include them by setting up a Slack or Teams channel to participate. Utilizing digital collaboration tools can further enhance these activities, ensuring seamless communication and engagement.

10. Weekend Hike for Work Life Balance

Getting outdoor air while exercising and having a great conversation will help you get to know your coworkers better. If hiking is not easily accessible in your area, perhaps a stroll around the block will be just as good.

Proactively creating opportunities for your team to interact will fuel opportunities for friendships to flourish. In time, this will increase employee engagement, reduce turnover, boost performance, and significantly improve your workplace culture overall. Establishing a thriving culture through such team-building activities can also enhance workplace engagement and inclusion, leading to a positive reputation and the ability to attract top talent.

Corporate Culture and Employee Experience

Your company culture has a significant impact on the employee experience. When employees feel connected to the organizational culture, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their work. A positive corporate culture can also influence employee satisfaction, retention, and overall well-being.

Companies that prioritize employee experience and well-being are more likely to create a thriving workplace culture that supports business success. By understanding the link between corporate culture and employee experience, organizations can take proactive steps to create a positive work environment that attracts and retains top talent.

Need More Ideas? Contact Stratus

If none of these ideas feels like a home run for your workplace, you may want to conduct employee surveys to learn directly from your staff of what makes a strong company culture. You could also create employee resource groups to assess company values and how to incorporate them into your mission, vision, and team-building activities to create a healthy company culture.

For more tips and suggestions, please contact your Stratus Account Manager. Not a current Stratus HR client? Book a free consultation and we will contact you shortly!