As a result of the turmoil caused by the pandemic – and the consequent impact it is having and has had on how we work – the culture of organisations is potentially under threat. Or the culture will be adversely affected, if organisations don’t embark on a culture journey to onboard the ‘new ways of working’ going forward.
As our economy starts to fully open after the Covid-19 pandemic, the workplace has tremendously changed with remote work, remote employees, hybrid work, and the officeless organisations. All of which have brought about an unprecedented increased adoption of digital technologies. These changes are not only in the physical and tangible aspects of work, but also in the unseen ones such as organisational culture, collaboration, teamwork, and socialisation.
Reputation and public image
Organisational culture refers to an organisation’s mission, objectives, expectations, and values that guide its employees. Organisational culture is also a representation of a company’s reputation and public image. People will make assumptions about businesses based on their interactions within and outside of the company. On the other hand, businesses with a strong brand identity tend to attract more business and job candidates with similar values who support their mission.
How will the new workplace affect organisational culture? How can businesses reinvent their cultures for the post-pandemic workplace?
Culture is a spirit, it is intangible, but organisational culture is not something that can be enforced. Since it is not a compliance issue, it is more about conversion; converting your employees to your organisational beliefs, employee engagement and campaigning organisation values. Translating organisational values from the wall to the heart of your employees is what makes the company’s culture work.
Organisational culture is Important
Here are several reasons why a strong organisational culture is important:
· Increased employee engagement and productivity. A work environment with a strong organisational culture is driven by purpose and clear expectations. This motivates employees to be more engaged in their duties and interactions with others. When employees have the resources and tools they need to succeed, there is increased productivity and performance.
· Decreased employee turnover. When employees feel valued and respected at a company, they are less likely to leave it. Happy employees mean less turnover, which saves companies time and money in the hiring process.
· Effective onboarding. Onboarding practices that include orientation, training, and performance management programmes help new employees access the right resources and better transition into their roles. Onboarding is also a good way for companies to ensure new hires understand the core values of their business.
· Healthy team environment. Having a clear and strong culture that unifies employees and promotes organised work structures which helps people work together with purpose.
The workplace is continuously evolving and thus the need for business leaders to keep reinventing the company culture. Going forward, creating a firm foundation by focusing on the organisation’s values will be critical in maintaining company culture in the post-pandemic workplace. Moreover, many of the cultural initiatives that companies adopted before and during the pandemic may continue while others will evolve or even completely change.
Business leaders need to remember that organisational culture does not come down to physical proximity, it is more about developing an attitude of care and more so in today’s pandemic world. Business leaders need to constantly find new ways to support their employees even when they do not see each other physically daily.
It is recommended that organisations reset, refocus, and replay a culture journey to enlighten employees that leaders are there to assist them to reinforce the organisation’s values into their everyday work practice.
Source: Poppulo.com and from LinkedIn:
Communication Professionals.
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