By Eva McKnight
“Company culture” has become a hot HR buzzword. Thousands of companies are using it to find unique ways to keep their employees happy and motivated.
However, company culture is much more than a list of employee perks or a ping-pong table in your office.
A well-defined company culture brings value to your company through brand engagement, social buzz, and media mentions.
It can also be a powerful recruiting tool, attracting strong candidates for new roles.
I work for a 25-person tech company in Indianapolis called Formstack.
Our culture is based on fun, flexibility, and transparency. We’ve also made an effort to share our culture journey with customers and followers.
Because we’ve been so intentional about our culture, it’s been profiled by Mashable and Tech Cocktail.
Company Culture is a Unique Selling Point
If you’re proud of your company culture and want others to notice, here are a few tips to get you started.
Find your culture niche: Sure, you might offer cool perks such as company outings or snacks in the office (heck, who doesn’t love free snacks?!), but the beauty of discovering your company culture is identifying what REALLY separates you from other companies. Find what makes your culture different and build content around it.
Formstack used to have a traditional office. We went totally virtual in May 2013. The first six months really forced us to find the best apps and communication tools to keep our company running smoothly.
Our CEO frequently speaks about that transition, and how being a virtual company is different. From all-company retreats to goofy apps we’ve built to stay engaged, we’ve discovered our unique niche. It’s given us a lot to talk about.
Create employee advocates through social culture: Don’t reserve your company social media accounts to plugging your product or service. These platforms are a powerful way to share your culture with current and future customers.
Create Facebook albums with pictures from company outings or just silly things happening around the office. Make posting to Instagram a regular activity. Tag employees in the photos, and their friends will be able to see the fun you’re having, too.
If your company participates in a team-building day or goes to a conference, write a recap blog post, and encourage employees to contribute and share.
Amp up your “about” and “careers” pages: Your “about us” page doesn’t have to talk about your product. Dedicate a page or two on your website to your company culture. The Formstack about page features head shots of all employees. It helps put a face to support or sales members.
We also highlight our culture on our Careers page. There’s a section describing our benefits, but we also include some of our favorite team building activities, as well as our hiring process. It’s an easy way to use organic search traffic to communicate your culture.
Seek out culture awards: Research HR or employee wellness awards that put your company culture in the limelight.
Many states, such as Indiana, conduct annual “Best Places to Work” awards. These awards rank companies based on what their own people are saying. They are a great way to spread the good news about your organization.
How have you defined and shared your culture online? Have you encountered any obstacles to communicating your culture?
Let me know in the comments below!