A healthy workplace culture is an exceedingly enviable thing for any company to brag about. Resources like Comparably have given a clear voice to employees for airing any grievances and singing any praises about the companies they work for, so it’s harder than ever for a business to get away with a toxic workplace environment. But what does it really mean to have a good workplace culture? The facts are that most people would rather not have to work full-time jobs if possible, so how is it that some companies can foster such sunny attitudes among their workforce? Here are 8 signs that a company’s staff is happily running like a well-oiled machine.
1.) Low employee turnover– This is especially true in entry-level jobs. If the staff who would normally be moving on (as they develop their careers) instead tend to stick with their jobs at the company in question, it’s a sure sign that they’re happy where they are. It’s always tempting to seek greener pastures in one’s working life, so lots non-managerial staff staying put means something is going right.
2.) Upbeat attitudes– A sick work culture is dominated by fear, intimidation, and back-biting. You can sense it just walking through the office. However, if instead you hear bright voices talking and bursts of laughter, that’s a good sign of a great work culture. The calibration of a work environment has to be pretty finely tuned to deflate stress and encourage trust, so an upbeat atmosphere means a lot.
3.) No gossip– Gossip is another sign of a flawed work culture. Without clear direction and reassurance, creatively anxious minds will get to work segmenting the staff into friends and foes, and everything will be analyzed to death in whispers. Gossip is never a good thing, because it implies a lack to freedom to speak out loud or ask questions. At work, it’s especially bad, as so many relationships are new and based on trust. In a healthy culture, the whispering should be at a minimum.
How To Prove To You’re a Good Culture Fit
4.) The staff enjoys each other’s company– If your coworkers enjoy lunches together, linger a while after the quitting bell rings, or make a habit of going out for a drink at closing time, there’s a good chance they like each other and enjoy spending time together. That kind of camaraderie is the direct result of a happy, healthy work culture. And blowing off steam together can help strengthen the bond.
5.) New ideas are welcome– A smoothly running workplace should always be open to new ideas. One run on fear and unhappiness tends to run, instead, on well-worn ideas that may be outdated. Old ideas are appealing for their security rather than their practicality, but security at work should come from thriving together, not clinging to the past. A healthy communication and discussion of new ideas is fostered by mutual trust and encouragement, both signs of a good work culture.
6.) There’s a waiting line to join the team– If there are people in a queue to join your company once positions open for them, that’s a sure sign of an enviable culture. Word of happiness and satisfaction at work tends to spread quickly, and that long line at the door is proof that people have heard the new and want in.
7.) Lateral leadership– When employees feel comfortable offering and taking guidance from coworkers rather than just from their managers, it means that distrust and insecurity is being kept out of the office. This kind of environment tends to not happen on it’s own, but is a result of careful, smart leadership and a relatively stress-free working dynamic.
8.) Nobody thinks of it as “just a job”– The healthiest workplaces are made up of employees that care about their jobs and want to excel beyond just earning their wages. It’s a hard formula to arrive at, and depends on some very clever hiring policies. There will always be bad days. But the employees who are lucky enough to have healthy cultures surrounding them tend to adopt a “we’re all in this together” attitude.
