Original Post: Company culture is more than ping pong and free snacks
Culture is more than a buzzword
If you take a look back at 2016, we couldn’t get away from the terms “big data” and “thought leader” or, here’s my favorite, “gamification.” (Can someone tell me what that really means, by the way?) Those were the buzzwords of the year, at least in tech; I can’t speak for other industries. This year, it seems the narrative is changing. One of the buzzwords for 2017 is “company culture.” Truth be told, I think that’s okay.
Here’s the problem, though. It's hard to tell what company culture is. For many, it’s an esoteric term that gets thrown around with minimal understanding. If you do a little search on Google, the first result, Investopedia, defines company culture as, “the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires.” Do I sound like I’m delivering a bad speech at a wedding reception or what? Oh, Webster’s dictionary defines love as…
But I digress.
Beyond the Definition; Beyond the Perks
Long story short, company culture is how your employees feel about working at your organization. There are many factors that go into a good (or bad) culture and they can vary by department. But universally, perks are a primary contribution to culture. Do you offer generous parental leave? Do you host events for employees to take time to interact with each other, maybe over a beer? Is your kitchen stocked with free snacks? Do you even have a kitchen? What kind of medical benefits do you offer? Do you host ping-pong tournaments?
While perks absolutely have an impact on the culture, perks are not, in and of themselves, the culture. Sound divisive? Certainly. But also true. I often see perks and culture interchanged and it would be a disservice to yourself and your organization to see them as one in the same.
Companies frequently list “FREE SNACKS” and “MONTHLY HAPPY HOUR” as benefits on their Career page, yet they neglect to mention health and wellness, rest and relaxation, professional development, and future planning.Does your website reflect the questions that candidates actually have?
Does management recognize good work?
Does the workforce generally eat dinner with their families (or friends, or roommates) rather than at work?
Is PTO truly free from work emails?
Are employees adequately and fairly paid for the work they do?
Does your workforce feel like they are making an impact on your bottom line?
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. These are the culture comforts that today’s workforce cares about.