Company culture often refers to the personality of a company. It defines the environment employees work in, company mission, company values, ethics, expectations, and goals.

Employees are more likely to enjoy their time in the workplace if they fit in with the company culture. Additionally, employees are more likely to recommend others to work for your company.

People learn to perform certain behaviors through the rewards or negative consequences that follow their behavior. When a behavior is rewarded, it’s often repeated and eventually becomes part of the culture. Just a simple “thank you” can mold your company culture.

Company culture should ideally support a productive and positive work environment.

For example, happy employees aren’t necessarily productive, and productive employees aren’t necessarily happy. In short, it’s necessary to find aspects of your company culture that will support both qualities for your employees.

Defining your culture can be difficult, but using the below channels can help: 

• Company website: Define your mission, values, and fun company photos in your “about us” page. 
• Interview questions: Take full advantage of the interview process and ask questions that will assess whether the potential employee will fit into the company culture, such as “do you prefer independent work or teamwork?” 
• Shadowing: Allow your potential employee to shadow someone in the department they applied for. Perform a follow-up interview and see how they feel, including a conversation with the individual they shadowed.

Related Terms: Productivity, Mission, Values