There’s a reason the biggest companies in the world proudly emblazon their company values across the walls of their international offices in bold, bright colours.
Company values and culture are a company’s DNA, they make it what it is, and they motivate their people to ‘be the best they can be’. In this article, we explore the relationship between corporate culture, values and perks – specifically, how they can be aligned to ensure that a workforce is happy, motivated and feels valued.
Culture
The term ‘corporate culture’ suddenly appeared in every HR person’s vocabulary around 2017 and it hasn’t moved an inch…and rightfully so. HR departments the world over recognise and understand the importance of corporate culture because employees are more likely to enjoy their time in the workplace if they like the culture.
Culture is created through establishing core values, and actually realising them, not just putting them on the walls. It’s not rocket science; if workers are happy, they work harder, they take more pride in their work, they’re more motivated and able to achieve their goals, and the company’s goals.
Values
Try to guess which world-wide, trillion-dollar company has this on its website:
“Our values align to our mission to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more. They support our culture and serve as a declaration of how we treat each other, our customers and our partners.”
Yes, it’s Microsoft. A phenomenally successful company with core values which have been designed to resonate with their current and potential workforce. So, why do companies develop and promote core values? Here’s just a few of the main reasons:
- To help employees make better decisions
- To improve employee communication
- To improve employee engagement and motivation
- To attract new clients with similar values
- To retain and attract the best possible talent
What’s not to like? A company with a strong set of agreed values should reap all the benefits above, which in turn will add to and strengthen its culture.
Perks
There’s no denying that perks are an excellent way to attract new talent; for example, AirBnB gifts new starters with £2,000 worth of travel allowance. But perks should most sensibly be used to encourage workers to stay, once they’re in. Companies that offer employee perks help their workforce maintain a healthy work-life balance, learn and develop career skills and take control of their schedules, all of which feeds and maintains the desired company culture.
So, what perks should companies be offering? The smartest answer to this question is arrived at after considering the core values of the company. It makes perfect sense to align the values (and desired culture) with the perks being offered.
If you look at the values of some of the biggest companies in the world, you’ll notice recurring themes and certain words being repeated e.g. collaboration, ownership, wellbeing, etc. One strong theme is that of learning and achieving; usually around the premise that there should never be any end to our development, both professional and personal.
Backing up the notion that learning and achieving is key, research carried out by Perkbox found that 83% of respondents identified extracurricular clubs as the most desired perk. So, what constitutes extracurricular clubs and which ones are the most popular?
- Language classes (29%)
- Cooking and baking classes (20%)
- Crafts classes (18%)
- Dance classes (17%)
- Art classes (15%)
Why? Well, the respondents provided this information also. The top reason given is purely enjoyment, next is the satisfaction they get from learning a new skill and finally the opportunity to better oneself comes in at the end.
So, to sum up – if a company wants to deliver on its values and offer what its workforce wants - thereby creating a positive company culture in which workers want to stay - they should really think about organising some extracurricular clubs, and why not select the most popular from the list above?
About the author:
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Anna is a CELTA and Trinity Dip-TESOL qualified English language teacher, with a background in Academic Management. |
Professional Language Solutions provides language training to over 80 corporate clients, delivering bespoke courses designed with the clients’ specific needs and objectives in mind. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see how we can help your company today.
References
https://enjoywishlist.com/25-top-workplaces-and-their-core-values/
https://www.perkbox.com/uk/resources/library/interactive-the-great-perk-search
https://blog.smarp.com/the-importance-of-company-values
https://elementthree.com/blog/5-examples-of-companies-with-awesome-core-values/
https://clutch.co/hr/resources/why-employee-perks-company-culture-matter