When you think of the word “compliance,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps following laws, rules, or other regulations. You aren’t wrong about that association, of course, but there is a surprising amount of depth to consider otherwise as well. It can do a lot for a company if implemented right.
What I’ll focus on today is its ability to improve the culture of your company on every level, but especially when it comes to your work environment. You see, because of the issues that these types of training tackle, you might find that you have a lot you can change!
What is Work Culture, anyway?
Let’s start at the beginning. How can we define what work culture is? Well, as you can see on this page, it’s the group of beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and values that are demonstrated in a space on any given day. Usually, it is a factor in how new employees feel during the onboarding process and can play a role in retention rates as well.
Several parts of our lives are influenced by this, in fact. These include but are not necessarily limited to our job satisfaction, any opportunities for growth within a company, our work-life balance, and the relationships we form with our coworkers. As you can see, it’s a critical part of how we operate in our jobs.
What Influences it?
Unfortunately, it is nigh impossible to boil the answer to this question down to one thing or another. However, we can use context clues to figure out some of the things that play a part in it. Usually, it operates in a top-down manner. This means that the behavior of management figures will influence anyone who works under them.
So, that’s one reason why you should put particular care into the hiring of supervisors or managers. As you go through that process, you might consider encouraging that they learn about compliance online, as a method to ensure they understand your company values and goals.
Alongside that, though, the behavior of each employee plays a part in creating office culture. So, it’s not only limited to those in positions of relative power. That’s why you should implement some form of training at all levels, though perhaps not in the same increments of depth. That’s up to your own discretion.
Policies set in place will also play a part in how a culture takes its shape. While it might seem obvious, enacting regulations that reflect your goals should be a priority. That way, you can start off on the right foot as an atmosphere begins to form!
Can We Direct Change?
This is a big question and concern that many of us have when it comes to running an organization. If we don’t like the route that things are going, can we change it? If so, how can we influence it without being too heavy-handed?
Well, creating a handbook about policies that can be easily updated is one method. Personally, I go with an online guide that is accessible for all of my employees. Thus, when a change is made, the rollout is not overly complex – and it has the added bonus of not wasting paper!
Of course, that’s not the only way to do it. You could also consider something that’s recommended on this site, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corporate-culture.asp, if you’re still feeling lost. There are plenty of options out there.
Your first step might be to educate yourself on what constitutes a healthy work culture. There are a few key features to keep in mind. Those are holding people accountable, providing equity in all parts of your company, allowing freedom of expression, keeping open channels of communication, and recognizing any and all accomplishments of your employees!
The best practice here is to do what works for you and your workers. Perhaps throwing small events to celebrate accomplishments could work, or small certificates that employees can display at their desks. If that feels like too much, even a thank you email, or text can make a big difference.
As a rule of thumb, treat everyone with equal respect. An office functions a lot better if no favoritism exists. While you might not expect it, that’s a part of compliance. You see, if you’re not careful, you might be discriminatory in your practices of having one or two favorites that you put ahead of everyone else.
Obviously, this isn’t something you want. Cultivate a work culture that reflects better on you and your organization. Strive for equity and allowing everyone to share their opinions – even if you disagree with them. Promote open conversations about these issues.
If you remember anything from today, hopefully it’s that providing training and education on compliance is going to benefit your company.
