5 Steps to Help Companies Quantify Culture

December 29, 2021

Company culture is extremely important to the success of your business. Along with being one of the most referenced parts of the interview process for new candidates, the culture of your firm will also largely determine the nature of interpersonal dynamics, workflows, and productivity of your employees. Nailing down a company culture that helps you do your best work and serve your clients excellently is paramount.

However, defining culture is inherently difficult. As such a subjective term, it can be tricky to articulate what exactly your firm culture is and how it manifests day to day. Thankfully, there are several ways to cut through the ambiguity and define your company culture in a quantitative way. Here are 5 steps that can help your leaders quantify culture and use it to bolster your business.

Communication Is Key

One of the integral tenets of your company culture is the way you and your employees communicate. Delving into your communication methods and utilizing the data at your disposal can help you quantify just how important communication is to your firm and inform how it is affecting your culture.

For example, if you use a program like Slack for internal company communications, you can work with your account manager at Slack to obtain data about your company’s usage. How many communications are sent per day? When are employees using the app and for how long per day? How do these figures compare to other companies in your industry?

The same analysis can be conducted pertaining to emails or other software. If the data is not readily available, you can always ask your employees via a survey about their communication habits.

Having a clear idea of how your company communicates is a great first step to learning quantifiable information about your culture.

Investigate Diversity Metrics

Does your firm have a Diversity and Inclusion board, or a dedicated professional in charge of these initiatives? If not, you could have swaths of impactful data at your fingertips that are going unutilized.

Diversity metrics – as they pertain to leadership, retention, and especially new applicants – are a great way to learn about the prevailing culture of your firm, and even go about changing it. Research shows that companies who invest in diversity sustain higher returns and have more sustainable culture profiles. Having a clear idea of your diversity metrics is one of the best ways to get a quantified look at your company culture.

Environment Design

From the lighting of your space to the arrangement of your seating, to the temperature of your office, the environment in which you and your employees spend your days has an enormous impact on the quality of work you produce. If you have never thought critically about these things, take this opportunity to investigate. Simple questions with quantifiable answers can help you understand your workspace, as well as how to improve it.

  • How large is the workspace of each individual?
  • Is there room to expand each person’s space? If the space is too limited, should we consider a hybrid work model?
  • Is the temperature ideal?
  • How does the lighting affect productivity? Is the lighting too dim or too harsh?
  • Is our office floor operating at full capacity?

Helping to craft an environment in which your employees will thrive can help cultivate the type of culture you want to see.

Performance Evaluations

If you do not already have a dedicated employee evaluation process in place, it is high time to implement one. These reviews can serve as valuable indicators of the health of your company and the productivity of each worker.

If you already engage in regular performance reviews, try delving deeper into this data to learn about the culture of your firm.

Are your employees pushing themselves to succeed and setting ambitious goals, or is a large percentage of your workforce just skating by? The answer to this can be a clear indication to the prevailing culture of your firm. The answer can also offer insight on how you should reroute from a leadership perspective.

Employee-Sourced Data

Those who most often engage with and experience your corporate culture are your employees. Therefore, asking them directly about their opinions of the firm can serve as an incredibly valuable tool.

Conduct exit interviews with any employees who are leaving the firm. Ask honestly what they appreciated and would change about the firm. Have an open mind and practice active listening.

A yearly employee satisfaction survey can also be a useful tool. Most importantly, keep this anonymous in order to get the unadulterated, honest opinions of your team as to how they view their workplace and how professionally and personally fulfilled they feel.

Culture Is Everything – Partner with Pinnacle

At Pinnacle Accounting & Finance, we know that the culture of your firm drives your success. Our professionals promise to prioritize your needs during the hiring process. We source only the best candidates that represent a well-tailored cultural fit for our clients. Our team places candidates in roles where they can make a positive impact. Let our recruiters simplify the talent acquisition process and help you strive towards a better company culture today. To learn more, please contact us at 412-343-6300 or https://pinnacle-cr.com

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