A study conducted by Professor Sigal Barsade from Wharton and Olivia O’Neil from George Mason University, conducted a survey with 3,201 employees in 7 different industries from financial services, to real estate which showed that, “People who worked in a culture where they felt free to express affection, tenderness, caring, and compassion for one another were more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization, and accountable for their performance.”

Cultural Paradigm Shift

There is paradigm shift in how culture is viewed in the workplace. Offering perks like, paid parking, free food, flexible working schedules etc. is great, but these are surface level attractors that won’t retain top talent.

Thriving office culture comes from creating a leadership structure and work environment that actively promotes, authentic interpersonal relationships, communication, working toward a mission with shared motivation, mature conflict resolution and even love.

So let’s get down to brass tax. What does culture mean for company performance? Here are the numbers.

Companies with strong cultures saw a 4x increase in revenue growth. Harvard Business Professor, James Heskett published a book, Corporate Culture and Performance, and spoke to his studies regarding the relationship between culture and financial results. He studied various companies, (e.g. American Airlines, Albertsons) over an eleven-year period and documented these results:

The numbers don’t lie. Not putting time, money and energy investment into your culture is organizational suicide. People are the lifeblood of your business and they need to be taken care of. They need to be heard, empowered, recognized and feel like they are a part of greater purpose. Without a cultural foundation and strategic hiring approach, companies run the risk of not being able to fulfill the demands of the evolving labor force which poses detriment to meeting financial expectations and accomplishing their mission.

Culture is not about strategy, but you can strategize how you develop culture. Together, we’ll align your company mission and leadership philosophy to develop a cultural blueprint that will create healthy, cohesive and productive work environment. This blueprint will set the foundation for the hiring strategies we’ll develop to ensure you are finding the suitable skillsets and personality types that will thrive in your company.

We’ll use the hiring interviewing and hiring strategies I’ve used in my career to help you identify the talent that aligns with your mission and cultural make up. The ShapeShift Culture method will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to get your people and organizing to achieve professional Peak Experience.

Now more than ever, CEO’s and business leaders are focusing on culture to ensure they are maximizing their company’s performance. Don’t think you can be the exception. Get ahead of the problems by doing this early. We’ve all heard the saying, “People don’t change.” Making the wrong hire can be devastating to your company. One person can create a toxic experience for an entire team. It can suck the energy and impact the productivity of the people around them. Regulations and wrongful termination law suits make it challenging to eradicate staff that don’t fall in line with your fundamental values. Let’s work together to lay down the pillars that will hold up your organizational structure.