ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / November 13, 2020 / Salary, paid time off, and upward trajectory are a few important factors that initially attract people to a company. But what makes them stay? According to 77% of working adults, it comes down to company culture. Company culture cannot be boiled down to a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather it should be a continuous investment in employees to ensure that they remain as satisfied and productive as possible.
Deepak Agarwal, an accomplished entrepreneur and c-suite executive, is no stranger to the challenges of creating a positive company culture. Having founded several companies in his career, DeepakAgarwal shares the following tips for leaders seeking to improve and invest in their company culture.
Be Transparent
Trust is the foundation of a solid employer-employee relationship. Being honest and open with your team fosters a healthy and seamless communication flow throughout all levels of the organization. Employees want to feel included, and when empowered with more information, they feel more invested in the organization and motivated toward the overall success of the company. So consider erring on the side of oversharing information rather than undersharing when necessary.
"Share not only the successes with your team, but also the challenges. You hired the best and smartest candidates for a reason, so lean into their expertise and opinions when faced with challenges. This works two-fold to establish and reaffirm trust amongst all levels of employees and can also help come up with creative solutions to challenging problems," says Deepak Agarwal.
Foster Employee Autonomy
Micromanagement is an inefficient and ineffective way to inspire creativity and establish accountability for your employees. Recognize that you hired them, and trust their ability to do their jobs and do those jobs well. Fostering a sense of autonomy amongst your employees is key in making the shift from being held accountable for their responsibilities and duties to embracing autonomy as they begin to own their initiatives and drive their workstreams.
"There are several ways by which leadership can encourage employee autonomy and independent thinking, and it will look different for each and every company. For most, creating decision-making opportunities for all team members is integral to employee growth and is also beneficial to the company as a whole," says Deepak Agarwal. "For others, breaking free from a 40-hour, 9-5 workweek can also be an option in that it allows employees to decide when their most productive hours are."
Use Purpose to Build Culture
Building your business around a bigger purpose will work to bring your entire team together in support of one cohesive mission. Whether that is a social justice issue, environmental issues, or supporting local philanthropies, it is important for employees to see that the company is working to create a better world for everyone. In Agarwal's 's case, this mission started with a partnership with World Vision, whereby his company, NoMoreRack.com, started a program to sponsor one child for each employee they had, which led to the sponsorship of over 1,500 children.
"Integrating my support of World Vision into our company's day-to-day operations was an incredibly rewarding experience," says Deepak Agarwal. "When you show your employees the impact their daily work is having -- in this case, each one of them directly supporting a child in need -- everyone feels a sense of pride in their work. The positive effects of the partnership were felt far and wide, both inside and outside the organization."
Give and Source Regular Feedback
Both giving and receiving feedback can be difficult, especially when the feedback is vague and not actionable. Once-per-year feedback has the potential to completely blindside employees if they are unaware of their standing within the company. Instead, provide feedback on a regular cadence that is actionable and has concrete goals to foster positive employee growth.
"It is important for employees to receive feedback from their managers and colleagues, but it is just as important for that feedback to move upward as well. Managers have to be held accountable in their roles and responsibilities to the people they manage," says Deepak Agarwal. "Employees should be confident that they can share their honest feedback and know that it will be taken into consideration to best benefit their professional development."
There are many ways in which leaders can invest in their employees by improving company culture. It is an integral part of securing and retaining quality employees that want to better both themselves and the company.
Contact:
Andrew Mitchell
Email: media@cambridgeglobalmedia.com
Phone: 404-955-7133
SOURCE: Deepak Agarwal
View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/616564/Deepak-Agarwal-on-Four-Ways-Leaders-Can-Improve-Company-Culture
