Company Values and its Culture

A company is considered as a second home for employees as they spend most of their day’s time in the organization he/she works for.  Hence, having a working environment as friendly and favorable forms an important aspect of the culture of the company. Culture is known to be the brand of your company defining its value, work ethics, mission, goals, and expectations. An organizational culture creates a brand for the company and speaks louder than words.

Values also known as Core Values are simply the basic beliefs of an organization. This helps in knowing what is right and wrong and provides a guided right way for working.  We have been learning some or other values from our childhood that we follow. Likewise, the values of a company mean certain way of behavior normally expressed in the form of the mission statement. Some Commonly known values are Reliability, Commitment, Open & Honest, Innovation, Efficiency, Transformation, Humor, Respect, and Service to others, Motivation, Environmentalism. The company will choose them according to their needs.

Culture on the other hand is said to be the widening of the mind and of the spirit.  Culture is something that has no physical shape, a touch or a form. It exists in the form of actions, conduct, and the proposition. Companies forming their culture entirely depend on the nature and temperament of their business and the charisma that they would choose for themselves. Based on these frameworks the Organizational Culture types are broadly classified into 4 main cultural known types as below:

Clan Culture – A Cordial environment bonded by faithfulness and convention. Co-workers are held together with ethical morals and emphasize is on long-term human resource development. Teamwork, involvement, and unison prevail in this culture, making it a family type of work style.

Adhocracy Culture- This is a swift and innovative environment where the employees have the liberty to be proactive and experimental. Innovation is the USP of the business and consistent growth and new talents are the long-term goals.

Market Culture- This culture promotes a workaholic environment and getting work done is important for them. Competitiveness prevails as winning is the organization focuses on winning. Fame is what matters here with long-term plans is that of contesting and achieving targets.

Hierarchy Culture- this is well structured and framed work zone. Procedures, Rules & Policies form the key components of the function. Stability and Results are the goals of this method. Efficiency, timeliness, consistency, and uniformity are the key value drivers.

Why Company’s Culture and Values Important?

Employees are the key assets of the company. Things that are important need to be nurtured in a right way and environment fitting in the framework.  Happy employees result in happy customers resulting in healthy growth of the organization. The productivity of the organization increases if the employees enjoy their work and a supporting atmosphere is a huge plus. This type of work fosters better peer relationships, customer engagement, reliability and long-lasting association with the employer.

With an Employee perspective company’s culture  is a decisive parameter for them to work with the organization. If a person is looking for a space that is fun to work and gets into a company that only is result oriented may not stay with a company for a long time. Likewise, a person who likes a professional setup may not be comfortable with the fun place. Or if you are an independent worker and you are a company which believes in teamwork then chances of you not liking work are more. So it is important for an employer to choose their culture intelligently considering all these parameters.

Employer and Employee relationship mainly revolves around the culture and values that the company posses. Getting accustomed to the cultural needs and reframing it as needed for a healthy working. The employer is in a win-win situation with the employee if its culture is tailor-made to keep the coworker’s happy.

How to know about a Company’s Culture and Values?

Now it is easy to find out about a company and its culture. Being a job seeker, you can check and analyze the company’s culture by following methods

Research: You can do a good research about the company and its lifestyle by checking reviews on Glassdoor where one can find writing from the existing or ex-employee of that company. Also, you can google the information and find sites like Business Insider & Entrepreneur which provides an annual list with all information including culture.

The Website of the company: You can check for the specific company and get into their official website and know about them. You can check their values, mission, the vision of the company. One can also take a sneak peek into the office in the gallery section. About us, testimonials will add value to your search.

Know from People: If you know someone who has worked with the company that you are interested in will become a crucial lead for you to know more about culture & values of the organization. Linkedin also can be a platform where you can check if any of your connections are working in the targeted company. Your Facebook friend list can also contribute in this regard.

During Interview: Interview is the best place and opportunity for an employee to know about the culture and values of a company. You can ask about the company’s culture when asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. It is the right time for you to know more about the daily work routine, the work-life balance, benefits and all other information that you want to know.

Shadowing or Knowing from peers: If you have failed to get information from the above means and have already joined a firm with no clue of the culture & its value, no problem. You can always check with your peers or shadow someone and get to know about the work style and the office dynamics building relationships.

Some examples of the companies that possess a great company culture are: 

Google- Informal atmosphere, no fixed rules, flexibility in work hours with some great benefits

Netflix-   Encourage common sense approach to the company. Ability & accomplishments are rewarded

Twitter- Rooftop meetings, No limit vacations, free meals and many more perks.

Facebook- Open office space, On-site laundry, CEO works with employees in the office.

Adobe- Promotes trust by allocating challenging projects to employees and avoid micromanaging.

RMSI-  Respect for people and Nurture performance, Healthcare, Initiatives for women.

Marriot Hotel India- Employee care is their topmost value. International exposure, Open door policy and hotel discount policies.

SAP Labs India-  WFH, Temporary part-time work, In-house crèche, Extended maternity leave policy.

Intuit Technology Services- Differences are valued and respected. Adoption with 84 days of adoption leave, Chase your dreams and broadband reimbursement

Paypal: Creativity tops the chart with a lively atmosphere.  Various activities keep employees engaged, also they are gifted with a wide array of benefits.

You will find many such companies like mentioned above that have adopted the perfect culture and values to nurture the healthy working environment in their organization. It is not just a pay that matters or the time spent on production or the manpower. An organization has to go beyond the monotony and treat employees as their asset and find various ways to keep it shining all time. As the saying goes: You don’t build a business, you build people and then people build the business. This is made possible only With an Exceptional Culture & Values of a company.

Remember, to win marketplace, you must first win in the workplace – Dough Conant!