In an increasingly chaotic world where many beliefs divide us, having a structure in your office is more important than ever. Everyone should feel valued and appreciated and share that feeling with their team. This goal is achieved through the management's overall workplace culture.

The office atmosphere is an integral part of your business’s reputation. How you treat your employees reflects how they treat your customers, and it can significantly determine what kind of future applicants want to apply for job openings. Happy workers are productive, long-term, engaged employees who treat customers and each other well.

Creating a positive office culture experience begins with the business’s values and mission and then extends to celebrating people as individuals. The two outcomes do not have to be separate. With these tips, you can keep your company’s focus on its ultimate goals while still ensuring the overall work experience is satisfactory for everyone.

1. Put the Right People in Charge

Your office culture will begin with those you consider worthy of leadership positions. It isn’t enough to have hard skills to do the job; management roles must also be filled with people with emotional intelligence (EQ).

EQ is the essential component that helps leaders communicate with employees, ensure they feel heard and valued, and minimize conflict before it becomes an issue. With emotional intelligence, managers lead teams with a “do as I do” instead of a “do as I say” mentality.

Consider those you currently have in management roles (including yourself). How strong are their core components of EQ, as shown in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management?

Keep in mind the message you send to your employees by the individuals you place in those management positions. If they are disrespectful, rushed, incommunicative, or otherwise lacking in EQ, you teach your staff that these are the traits you value and that will move them ahead in your business. You may need to adjust your leadership roles to create a positive office culture.

2. Ensure Overall Respect is a Goal

It can be challenging to figure out how to respect everyone, regardless of their backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs. Sometimes, what you don’t know that you don’t know pops up as disrespect when it was truly a lack of knowledge.

To avoid this problem, it’s vital to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, as explained in this article by Obsidi®. Through a culture where DEI is at the root, everyone feels welcome. A diverse workplace environment ensures that not only do those with various backgrounds become part of your team but that you model by action the importance of embracing differences.

Equity provides everyone with the resources and opportunity to be successful, and inclusion encourages everyone, regardless of stereotypes or “this is how it’s always been,” to work together. Whether you call it DEI or not, the overarching theme of belonging, respect, and value is vital to developing a positive office culture.

3. Show Value Through Benefits

What benefits do you provide your employees? Are you offering the traditional compensation package: salary, insurance, and PTO? Or does your business go above and beyond to show your team that you understand the importance of a work/life balance?

Competition is fierce in fields like tech, healthcare, and other in-demand industries. While you may not be able to offer the highest salary, you can still attract top talent through benefits, perks, amenities, and professional development learning opportunities.

These options vary depending on the type of business you’re in, but here are some common perks/amenities that are trending now:

• Flexible hours
• Remote or hybrid work environments
• Affordable healthcare (including offering matching investments into health savings accounts)
• Mental health treatment through options like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and overall well-being programs
• Professional development to improve skills, upskill, or reskill
• Retirement plans and debt pay-off assistance
• Personalized benefits, such as daycare assistance or a “bring your pet to work” option
  
  

Companies like Google made the headlines long before COVID with their worker-friendly policies. The global shutdown made virtual work and health-focused policies a normal part of the economic culture. Today’s employees understand the need for a “regular” schedule and balance. Still, they also don’t want to give up the perks that align with returning to a “new normal” and keeping wellness and family priorities.

Conclusion

When you receive feedback from previous and current employees, what do they say about your office culture? Where are the areas that you must target to improve positivity? From aligning your leadership with your business’s core values and employee needs to offering better perks and amenities in your hiring and retention practices, making changes that focus on treating people with respect through DEI-style principles can turn your business into one where everyone is happy.