HR MANAGEMENT HR MANAGEMENT
How leaders interact and communicate with employees is one of the key areas that will define your workplace culture
Critical
culture ATM’s HR expert Vicki Crowe asks what is
workplace culture and why it is so important to the success of your operations? She also addresses some ATM reader feedback relating to the signing of HR documents.
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f you were asked to describe your workplace ‘culture’ in three or four words, could you? Workplace culture is often said to be more important than your business strategy because it either strengthens or undermines your business. In many small businesses it is often overlooked, not discussed and often hard to define. Workplace culture is becoming an important part of a job interview with the majority of candidates I interview asking me to describe our culture. So what exactly is workplace culture? Think of the culture in your workplace as the personality of your business. It’s what makes your workplace unique. It includes your values, traditions, beliefs, interactions and communications, behaviours and attitudes; in other words it’s the internal way you do business on a daily basis. Culture is usually defined by the personalities at the top – the leaders (e.g.: this could be the CEO, general manager or course superintendent). There is always a shift in culture when a new leader takes over in the business. Depending on communication from the top down, culture filters down through the next tier of management and then to the team. Regardless of the size of the business or operation, you will have your own unique culture. So, why is workplace culture important? l Potential job applicants will be evaluating your culture from the time they arrive at the interview and this often determines whether they want to work for your business; l A toxic culture causes people to leave; l It drives employee engagement and retention; l Research shows that employee happiness and satisfaction is linked to a strong workplace culture (Source: Deloitte).
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 20.3
Think of the culture in your workplace as the personality of your business. It’s what makes your workplace unique Businesses with strong cultures mostly outperform their competitors and usually have higher productivity. Below are the key areas that will define your workplace culture. l
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Leadership: How the leaders interact and communicate with employees. This includes how they communicate the future vision for the business, how transparent they are, their authenticity, decision-making and beliefs, trustworthiness and how they convey their expectations. Management: Whether the managers empower employees to work autonomously and make decisions, or hinder employees by micromanaging and controlling them. Systems: How the goals and objectives, policies and procedures, code of conduct, remuneration, flexibility with hours and the structure are managed. People: The people in the company and how they interact, respect and communicate with each other. Beliefs and values: Whether the beliefs and values are communicated to employees on a regular basis and are truly reflective of the business. Built environment: Created by employees, it includes the objects in your workplace, what people have on their desks, the pictures on the walls or plants, how any offices are set out and the lunchroom or common areas used by employees. Communication: This is a critical area. Often disputes arise and employees become frustrated due to miscommunication or a total lack of communication. Consider the type and frequency of interaction and communication between managers and employees and leaders and employees.