by Alek Sabin

One of the best ways to attract and retain the best employees is by making your office a place that people want to work. You’ve probably heard a lot about ‘culture’ in the business world, lately. It’s become a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot like ‘synergy,’ ‘paradigm shift,’ or ‘data-driven.’ Just like these other phrases, the idea at the core of company culture is good, but the reality often gets lost in corporate noise. However, a vibrant and fulfilling culture actually can be an incredible benefit to a company, if you can get through that noise and get to what actually matters. Company culture, at its heart, is about being an employee-centric business. Here are some tips on how you can accomplish this…

Make it a safe work environment

First of all, nobody likes working in an environment in which they don’t feel safe. One of the most important components about an environment where company culture begins to build is that your employees need to feel comfortable there, which means making it safe. For this reason, take steps to make sure that your workplace is safer and more attentive of your employee’s needs. While you definitely don’t want to feel like an overbearing employer that can’t give employees their space, you also don’t want them to feel like they aren’t entirely safe in the place where they have to be, every day!

Have your employees be the heart of your brand

One of the many benefits of having a great company culture isn’t just that your employees enjoy working there more, but also that you have more appeal to consumers on the outside of your business. People want to work with businesses where the people in those businesses seem passionate about what they do. For this reason, culture is a branding weapon that gives your business an appeal that goes beyond traditional advertising measures. Build an efficient employer branding strategy by involving your whole team in the planning phase and making sure that their sides are being heard. This way your employees will feel significant in your business and will care for it as if it’s their own.

You should also use branded amenities to give your employees so that they can continue to sport your brand, and make them be proud to be a spokesperson of the company that they work for. This image goes a long way.

Encourage healthy lifestyles

Healthy employees have been shown to be happier employees. For this reason, many businesses offer fitness programs and incentives as part of their benefits. When an employee feels healthier, they experience higher self-esteem and tend to be better representatives of the business that they work for (in addition to being more productive). Encourage healthy habits around the office, warehouse, or whatever work environment your employees operate in. Encouraging healthy habits can go as far as group activities that get your people moving, or even just a reminder to use healthy posture when sitting at a desk all day.

Build amenities people actually want

Businesses nowadays are finding that they need to offer more than competitive pay and benefits to attract the best workforce. Today’s workers look for companies where they feel like they are actually going to enjoy working. For this reason, having amenities that make your office an attractive place to be are important parts of attracting the best people for your business. This goes beyond just having a game table and a coffee machine. Take the time to figure out what things your employees would actually like to see around the office and find ways to implement those ideas (within reason). It’s safe to assume that the employees you’re looking to hire might be attracted by the same things that your current employees want, as well.

Make your office feel alive

Nothing shuts down a person’s excitement for their own company like walking into work and seeing a traditional row of cubicles. The assumptions that come with this design don’t make for a good image. Office design is an exceptionally important part of building a strong company culture. Having a vibrant office design that inspires collaboration between coworkers helps improve productivity and innovation, and makes employees feel more excited about the place that they work.