3 Red Flags That Indicate Your Company Needs a New Culture

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January 14, 2016

The world of start-ups has permanently changed the way businesses work, and perhaps their most important legacy is that of company culture. The CEO of AirBnB has gone as far as suggesting that company culture will be AirBnB’s most important legacy, as it alters and changes everything else that goes on within a business.

So, how does your company culture stack up? Do you believe a shake-up is in order?

Here are three red flags that might indicate it’s time for a big change in your company culture.

1. Your Company Hires Based Only on Skill

This is a big no-no if you are looking to build a strong company culture. Skilled employees are important, but it’s just as important to look at more than their skill set to figure out whether or not they’ll truly fit in with your culture. The people you hire should add to the company culture, not detract from it.

When hiring new workers, consider looking at the whole person, including their outside interests and core beliefs, in addition to their skill set. It could help improve and add variety to the company culture very quickly. One of the worst things you can do is to keep a highly-skilled worker on the payroll when that person is actively poisoning your culture. Skills matter, but culture is more important because one negative attitude can bring down an entire team.

2. Your Company Doesn’t Encourage Risk-Taking

Successful businesses are built on the blood, sweat, and tears of risk-takers. However, many of today’s businesses no longer reward risk-takers. Instead, they focus on short-term performance and gains. This is a terrible thing for company culture.

Risk-takers are what will move your company forward, and these innovative souls can add a lot to a business, both in profitability and in company culture. Business experts suggest rewarding risk-taking through benefits, perks, and bonuses to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation.

3. Your Company Culture Stops at the Threshold

The companies with the most talked-about cultures are the ones that allow their workers to take that culture with them and spread it around. Your employees should live and breathe your company culture, sharing their knowledge and beliefs with the world. To build a strong and connected team, it is important to bring that culture into the outside world, whether that is through personal betterment projects or through company-wide charity projects. Not only does it foster closeness within your team, but it helps to market your business as a forward-thinking one. It is a win-win.


Written by Robert Gerace of www.everystoreperfect.com
Robert Gerace is the founder and CEO of Every Store Perfect, an In-Store Execution Management Platform for the Consumer Goods Industry.

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