Do you actually need to define things like workplace culture? Should you take time away from seemingly more important things like client retention or new business? Does it really matter whether your employees are “friends” or not? The short answer: Yes, yes, and yes.

Something like “culture” can seem pretty insignificant when you have a company to run. But it is worth your time. In fact, taking the time to establish a strong company culture is just important as your business strategy.

Why? Well, honestly, your company culture can make or break your business. That sounds extreme, but it is 100% true. Construction companies who develop strong workplace cultures see higher rates of efficiency and overall job satisfaction. In fact, it has a hugely positive effect on things like burnout and turnover rates. Knowing how expensive recruiting and onboarding new employees can be, we can safely say that strong company culture can greatly affect your company’s bottom line.

So, the question becomes, what affects culture in the workplace? Unfortunately, the simple answer is not so simple and includes a wide range of different factors. In this article, we will talk about three of the main areas that you can address.

Communications

This one little word actually has a huge amount to do with company culture. Do you make sure to check in with your team regularly? Do you encourage employees to come with you with any issues or ideas? What are your tone and demeanor when you speak to employees? All of this plays a role in how well your team works together and makes decisions.

Work Environment

Depending on the particular job in construction, this factor can be somewhat difficult to control. Lots of employees probably spent most (if not all) of their time on work sites. But you do still have the ability to influence workplace culture. By emphasizing things like safety and ensuring your team has the proper tools and timeline for a project, you are making important statements about your company’s values.

Leadership

This is probably one of the biggest impacts on workplace culture, yet people forget about it the most. How your leadership team engages with employees on an everyday basis is critical; it is just as important as the vision that management sets for its future. More than anything, it is important that your employees see leadership set a good example and follow the same requirements that they expect from the rest of the team.

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