Do You Have a "Vanilla" Company Culture? How to Turn it Around

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on October 28, 2013

A company’s culture plays a huge factor in attracting and retaining talent, which in turn has a massive impact on a company’s productivity and profitability.  A company with a “vanilla” culture will often find itself struggling to attract top talent and to pull ahead of the pack among its fiercest competitors.

How can a company build a vibrant culture that helps it stand out and succeed in its field?  Consider the following tips for attracting and retaining the industry’s best talent through a vibrant culture:

1. Make it meaningful. A company culture must have a meaningful foundation that can be applied in a range of concrete situations.  “We will deliver operational excellence” is dense, difficult to apply, and devoid of meaning.  “We do whatever it takes to make our customers happy” is a mission statement employees can apply in every specific situation they handle, making it more meaningful.
2. Focus outward. A vibrant company culture takes root by delivering added value not only to employees, but also to customers or clients.  For instance, a drive to build exceptional products, exceed customer expectation, or provide an ideal shopping experience focus the company’s energies on its participation and performance in the “real world.”  By contrast, an internally-focused culture tends to make the company too introspective to respond effectively to market challenges.
3. It’s not personal. A vibrant company culture that lasts is one that depends on ideas bigger than any one person.  By contrast, a company that relies on the energy of its CEO or founder to find the drive to succeed is little more than a personality cult.  Encourage reliance on goals and ideals, not on people.
4. It’s pervasive. Vibrant company cultures aren’t circumscribed to certain offices or areas of a plant.  They’re pervasive; they infuse every office and every department, and they’re obvious anywhere in the company you go – even to visiting outsiders.  Work to create a company culture that works for everyone in the building.

At TERRA Staffing, our experienced staffing partners can help you do more than just find the top talent you need to drive your business into the future.  We understand how to hire candidates that will be a perfect fit for your position – and your company culture. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services in Portland and Seattle!

Categories: Employee Engagement Ideas, HR and Management Advice

Tags: Building Company Culture, Do You Have a Boring Company Culture, How to Build a Strong Company Culture, Seattle Recruitment Services, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Experts, Seattle Strategic Staffing, Signs Your Company Culture is Boring, Turning Boring Company Culture Around, What You Should Do if You Have a Boring Company Culture

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