Healthy Culture: Is It Good for Business?

We’ve all had that friend who hated their job, seemingly stemming from a “bad boss” or recent change in corporate rules. The “job hate” rarely has to do with the actual work being done, but rather the environment in which the work is done. Many resources on the matter offer differing opinions on what makes a great culture. Articles relate healthy culture to “trust” while others state it’s all about the “hire” or who you have working for you. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, culture is defined as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.” The organization and the employee must have a mutually beneficial relationship to be the most effective. It must be specific to the organization and the people within your organization.
A recent study done by gallup.com states that only 31.5% of U.S. employees are engaged with their current employer. An engaged employee is one who makes better decisions because there is a vested interest in the organization. He or she seeks to regularly improve their work and the work around them. Does your company culture engage your employees? Make an effort to understand your specific employee needs and implement those changes.
HindlePower in Easton, PA recently won The Morning Call’s Best Places to Work. Deborah Behler, the General Manager of HindlePower, states “trust and appreciate your employees, put them first, before all else”.  She goes on to say that “An employee who feels appreciated and valued is a vested an employee.  They will work very hard to be successful; a successful employee = a successful business”.  This kind of thinking works for the employees and the company. The company experiences minimal turnover, the national average being at 16.1% for Manufacturing & Distribution. HindlePower offers many employee benefits such as free daily lunches that are served by a private chef, a comprehensive profit sharing program, and a policy of no time clocks or set start time. The employees understand there is a big job to be done, and they do it. Bill Hindle, the owner of HindlePower, is commonly quoted as stating, “Take care of the employee, and the employee will take care of the work.” The organization is number one in the industry due to having the highest quality products and outstanding customer support.
There is not a one size fits all approach to improving organizational culture. Truly understanding both the needs of the company and the needs of the employee will move your organization in the right direction. An effective method of seeing where your company culture is going is to look around and talk to your employees. They will tell you everything you need to know.