Covid-19 has been cruel enough to shut down most offices and make people work from their homes across the world. Though it was all fun and relaxed initially, later everyone realized how taxing and challenging it is to work from home. However as the situation started becoming better, many offices started calling their employees to get back to the real work setup but not the entire strength at once.
While some employees returned to the office, some remained offsite forming a “hybrid work environment”. Having a mix of frontline and remote workers just doesn’t let the workplace return to normal. People spending less time together are bound to have a lesser team spirit that’s necessary for work.
What is company culture?
Simply put, a company’s culture is a set of shared values, beliefs, practices and rules that make it different from the other. This culture can only be learned over time with personal interactions and daily routines. Every company has a different mission that they work for and that defines its culture, not how the staff plays games in their free time or parties outside work. It is the expression of the values of your organization. If one of your values is honesty, for instance, then how honest you are with your stakeholders in terms of the quality of the products/services you offer will convey your value.
If your company value is that you are open to feedback, then how often do you take seriously the points suggested by your customers or your employees will show how much you mean your company values. Company values are not just to be mentioned on papers or websites but should rather be shown in your actions. How satisfied are your customers and how expressive your staff is would represent a company’s culture.
A coworking office space for rent in Noida, for example, would have a unique culture that the management adheres to. That culture would be practiced by the staff and felt by the members.
Why is it necessary to be maintained?
Why is culture so important for an organization? The productivity of the place is mostly the result of its culture. The work environment hugely impacts the efficiency and dedication of the people working there. How well do they connect, how much do they like their job and how appreciated do they feel would show in how engaged they are in the company-related matters and activities.
The hiring of a candidate also includes assessing how well they would fit into the company’s culture because unless they share the same values and feel comfortable blending in with others, they can’t be an engaged member. Misfits generally make others miserable.
Culture matters because if your employees also value what you do, they feel connected with the organization and stay longer. But while the workforce is scattered, can culture still be maintained? The hybrid work model is the new normal and while we are figuring it out, we can’t let the office culture take a back seat.
6 Ways You Can Maintain Your Company’s Culture Even In A Hybrid Environment
Regular Communication
The kind of communication that can happen when the entire workforce is present isn’t easy when most of them are working remotely. Physical meetings make sharing of information fast and easy but a hybrid system can hamper the sharing. Arranging for virtual meetings, summarized emails and group chat updates regularly can help maintain the sharing of information so nobody feels left out. Sharing your company goals even virtually would let your employees know what you expect from them.
Leaders Would Be Followed
For your entire staff to respect and practice your values, the top-level people must embody and convey those in their actions. Transparency, supportiveness, hard work, integrity and other values must be reflected in their actions. Managers must demonstrate a healthy work culture if they want it from their teams. The value of a coworking office space for rent in Noida, Delhi, Mumbai or any other city is a reflection of the management’s leadership style.
Organize Virtual Events
Even if everyone can’t be at the same place, they shouldn’t feel abandoned by the events and activities happening in the company. Group activities like games, team lunches, and team-building exercises can always happen virtually. Thanks to technology, virtual space can help in retaining and forming bonds.
Survey Your Staff
What your employees think about your company must always be very important to you. They are your first customers and a result of your demonstrated values. Managers must gauge and identify where they are lacking and what are the areas of improvement. Your staff is your biggest word of the month in the outside world. You can either use this source best or waste it with negligence.
Call For Weekly Meetings
Meetings are not bad as long as they are not wasting time. It can be annoying sitting there on Zoom calls and listening to things that might be unimportant. With meetings addressed to specific people for a particular set of discussions, employees will be more interested, alert, engaged and feel relevant. This encourages superior-subordinate connection.
Use The Technology
The hybrid work model demands an increase in bandwidth, software and audio/visual quality. Using tools like Google Hangouts, Zoom, MS Office Teams and other applications can help you work with your employees and customers, function well and deliver better. Technology lets you stay updated without missing a beat.
Conclusion
Nobody expected a shift from a classic work model to a hybrid model till a couple of years back. Today, the demand of the hour has made things happen that nobody imagined. While there are many adjustments on the road to change, this must not affect your company’s culture. You can always leave what doesn’t work for you and your employees and follow what feels best.
Looking forward to witnessing a good office culture in coworking office space for rent in Noida? Visit Let’s Connect coworking!
