Company Culture as a Driving Factor of Loyalty

As millennials are entering the job market as the largest generational cohort in the U.S. workforce, they bring with them an immense amount of market potential as buyers and as employees.

The focus on a healthy company culture is ultimately becoming a make-or-break decision factor for where these individuals will choose to place their loyalty and where they will choose to work.

If you want to foster and maintain employee loyalty, read more to learn about creating a thriving company culture.

How to measure company culture

A few “culture metrics” your company should be using to measure its health according to Founder and CEO of CultureIQ Greg Besner include:

• Communication
• Innovation
• Wellness
• Environment
• Collaboration
• Support

Keeping these things in mind, here are a few strategies that you can implement in order to create and sustain a thriving culture at your company, and in turn, improve employee productivity, motivation, and spirit.

How to create a healthy company culture

Company culture begins the moment a potential employee first finds your company and interacts with it, continues when a new employee walks in the door for the first time, and extends throughout their employment.

This is why it’s important to create a welcoming atmosphere that makes them feel special and connected to the company.

In order to keep the employee experience alive and well, offer surprise and delight touchpoints by using custom company merchandise throughout their journey.

Welcoming new employees

Company merchandise has the power to make a new employee feel like they are a part of the company from their first day.

Having a welcome kit waiting for staff at their workstation, for example, with essentials like a branded water bottle, notebook, pen, and apparel is the perfect way to begin building a healthy culture right from the start.

Company inclusion and connectivity is an ongoing process, and there are always opportunities to make people feel more welcome.

How employee interaction plays into company culture

An important part of overall company health is the quality of interactions amongst employees and those who manage them.

Interaction can range from something as simple as asking your colleague how their day is to hosting events and beginning special company traditions.

“People who feel that they are contributing to something bigger than themselves are often more driven to go the extra mile,” says Ted Church, Anthem Branding’s co-founder.

“If your team members feel that their identities are tied closely to the company's identity, they will be more likely to put in the extra effort and speak highly of the company outside of working hours,” says Church.

In order to create a connection between your team members and your company, you can build rapport amongst employees and with the greater community in which you live.

“Millennials want to know how they fit in and how they can contribute to the community in which they work,” says Allan Kohll of Forbes. "Being part of a community can have a positive effect on emotional well-being.”

“Community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness. It can also offer added meaning and purpose to life,” says Kohll.

This kind of involvement and interaction not only drives awareness, but also shows that you’re invested in the things that matter to your employees outside of work and in the office.

Use these tips to shape company culture

• Host events within the community. Use this as an opportunity to show people who you are as a brand and to connect with your employees, your customers, and with outside causes. Events are also a great opportunity to swag out participants!
• Give your employees appreciation kits as they achieve milestones or exceed goals.
• Support causes outside of your organization's mission that your employees care about. You can also use this as a way to connect to different communities and show your support using social media to reach more of your audience.
• Give your employees plenty of company swag, as it can play an important role in building unity within your team and provide employees with an experience of a shared corporate identity.

Healthy company culture is vital to long-term business success to attract and retain top talent. Get your company on board!

Related: The Role of Company Culture Communication in Business