5 Signs You’re Doing Company Culture Right

Your employees laugh. A lot.

Take a listen around your office—how prevalent is the sound of laughter? If your office sounds more like a taping of Full House than a church or a morgue, you’re doing something right.

Employees who laugh—and not just during lunch hour in the break room—are clearly comfortable with each other, which means they’re working well together. Of course, they’re also obviously having fun at work. It’s not just a job for them; it’s a place they want to be. And it’s no secret that when employees are having fun, they’re going to be more engaged and produce better, stronger work.

We laugh a lot at Oneupweb. Here’s a video of something silly we did, just because:

Oneupweb: “meow” from Oneupweb on Vimeo.

Your employees know the score.

You’ve heard the old adage, but it’s worth repeating (because it’s so damn true)—employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses.

One of the major reasons for employee exodus is lack of trust. According to a recent survey from American Psychological Association, 50% of US workers believe their employer is not open and upfront with them. Lack of trust stems from lack of transparency.

How profitable are we? Where are we losing money? What are the company’s long-term goals? Why is the organizational structure the way it is? If all your employees know the answers to these questions, then you value transparency. And it’s a sure-fire sign you’re doing company culture right.

If your employees don’t know the answers to these questions, ask yourself—why not? What’s the worst that could happen if they knew? Ask yourself whether keeping certain information private is more important than demonstrating your commitment to transparency.

You value work life/balance—and that’s not just lip service.

Countless companies tout work/life balance during the recruiting phase, but it turns out what they really mean is Christmas Eve off or mandatory team-building afternoons twice a year.

Employers that really value work/life balance show it in their actions. They don’t make a habit of rewarding people who put in extra time during nights or weekends. They don’t expect their employees to always be available when they’re on vacation. They’ll tell their employees to leave early on days when it’s too nice to be inside.

Risks are encouraged.

Innovation ain’t gonna happen if employees don’t take risks. Companies that see risk-taking as crucial to success understand the need for new ideas, from every level of the organization. Promoting a culture of failure means recognizing that not every new idea will work out, but even when it doesn’t, it’s possible to course-correct quickly and learn from the experience.

(This is taking risks too far. Don’t do this.)

Leaders model everything.

Great company culture starts from the top. If leaders set the tone for creating a happy, healthy environment that expertly balances work and life—one in which all employees feel heard, informed, and encouraged to take risks—then the right company culture will always follow.

We don’t like to brag, but we think we do company culture pretty darn well. Are you interested in joining us? Check out our Careers page to see if there are any openings that interest you.