Can HR Impact Company Culture?

Company culture is made up of an organization’s basic core values, workplace norms, communication styles and even decision-making processes. These customs and behaviors not only directly affect business achievements but also define brand equity and value.

Culture begins with the Human Resources department and management team, as HR and front-line managers directly impact the dynamics of a work environment. They share the responsibility of creating and protecting an organization’s culture.

For example, it's a good practice to have a distinctive, intentional culture. Because HR is typically responsible for recruiting and hiring, they should work to source and recruit candidates who will best match with that culture.

Creating a more positive work environment can transform an organization from one losing valuable resources into one where employee engagement and mindset drive loyalty, innovation and growth.

While individual jobs and tasks may be difficult, the culture shouldn’t add to the stress levels of employees. Happy employees work hard and their hard work equals productivity. For this reason, creating an HR department that strategically advocates a distinctive culture and supports its growth is a must - everyone wants to work for a company that values its people.

Josh Bersin, founder of Deloittle, states that you feel a culture when you visit a company and that it’s evident in people’s behavior, enthusiasm and the space itself. His saying is that culture eats strategy for lunch.

As an industry leader who understands great company culture, Bersin’s five core elements driving employee engagement are:

1. Meaningful work
2. Hands-on management
3. Positive work environment
4. Growth opportunity
5. Trust in leadership

Ensuring your organization focuses on the above elements will not only create engaged employees, but will also translate to your clients, business partners and community. In business, having a well-known brand speaks for itself.

So, how can your company achieve a positive, intentional and distinctive company culture? Below are four practical steps for creating a distinctive culture:

1. Know your Brand
   Defining your distinctive company culture begins by understanding your core values. What are your brand identifications: your mission statement, values and visions? To ensure your brand standards correctly translate to your employees, creating that understanding begins with the HR Department. There’s a close relationship between your employees and your HR team, which fosters a departmental relationship.
   
   Don’t allow this opportunity to create a positive culture between all parties slip away. Start with your HR team by ensuring they are your company’s biggest advocates. Work environments thrive when its people live, breathe and mutually understand the company’s mission, visions and values.
   
   
2. Communicate the Partnership
   Make sure your employees understand your core values and the culture you want to maintain. Give your employees an employee handbook that includes your mission statement, and repeats your message to establish trust and engrain these core values from the day one. Encourage those who believe in your message as these are the employees who build your organization’s standards. By building a distinct partnership, you can use your positive culture as a recruiting tool, and remember that employee growth is the greatest generating engine for your company’s success.
   
   
3. Define Job Expectations
   Cultures are dynamic, as are your employees, and your employees should be treated with care. Set company standards must have guiding principles for people to follow. This can be done by clearly defining your employees’ job descriptions and your expectations, then having your employees set goals, thereby insuring an environment that welcomes improvement, growth and learning.
   
   Follow up by utilizing employee assessment tools that monitor and measure performance levels. Accountability tools ensure that both parties are present when it comes to determining things like bonuses when employees exceed set goals.
   
   
4. Promote Teamwork
   When issues arise, productivity stops. In these situations, handle things openly, directly and mutually. When issues do occur, consider making positive changes that promote flexibility and teamwork.
   
   If you have a strong HR department with management leaders, your organization empowers trust and accountability to all employees. Encouraging team connection and removing strict hierarchies also creates a unified culture, as the culture influences teamwork.
   
   
5. Follow Through
   Remember that at the end of the day, your HR department supports your people and your people are there to support your business. Although an effective HR department is busy with essential tasks and duties, your HR team still supports the organization’s culture through daily interactions.

Great cultures don’t exist in a vacuum. Be sure the HR department follows through and maintains employer-employee relations by being the example and setting the tone for the workplace.

Your company is complex with many working parts. The bottom line is that you want your company to be successful. Your HR department provides essential functions for your organization’s success. It’s your foundation, and this foundation has the opportunity to create a distinctive culture that advocates growth.

Great distinctive cultures take time to create. If you take small steps towards your goals and always remember your core values, your HR department will soon develop to support the growth of your culture and people.