This is a guest post by our friends at Justworks. Building a strong company culture — one with motivated, engaged employees — starts with building your company values. Those company values will set the tone for your company’s culture and vision. It will also make business decisions and policies much easier. By focusing on your values, all the decisions and actions that factor into running a business will be much more straightforward. One of Justworks’ six values is ‘openness’. Why do we value openness so highly? Create an Expenses Policy. Accommodations. Food and entertainment. Office supplies.

by Ben Hindman, CEO and co-founder of Splash. Guests come to an event with a certain set of expectations. Your job as host isn’t just to meet those expectations. Your job is to go above and beyond. One of the most effective ways of keeping your guests excited is by injecting a little surprise before, during and after your event. Here are 6 ideas for your next company event — whether that’s an internal team event for employees or an external marketing event– from Splash ’s latest book, Events 101. 01 | The road to success is through discovery. 04 | Let the entertainment begin.

Giving back to the community you serve is often a rewarding experience for many reasons. You make a meaningful contribution to your community, it gives you a sense of fulfillment, and it’s a great way to connect with your peers. Unfortunately, many of us are busy diving into our spreadsheets and meetings at work so there isn’t a a lot of leftover time to give back. As an employer, having a company volunteering program is not only a great for karma points; it has major positive implications on your employees, brand, and community. Here’s why companies should adopt a cause for their organization.

The holidays are a time of cheer and wonder for many. In fact, leaders can learn a thing or two about how to apply holiday principals to ramp up their workplace. Think about it—this time of year requires people to listen, empathize, and share experiences together. The same happens in the workplace. Here are three ways leaders can apply the holiday spirit to build a strong workplace culture: The Gift of…. Listening. Around the holidays, people have to do a fair amount of listening. They have to learn what their loved ones want for gifts, who likes what dish, and the list goes on. Giving.

Exciting news! Gartner, a leading information technology research and advisory company, selected CultureIQ as one of five vendors in their “Cool Vendor in the Digital Workplace, 2015” report published on April 17, 2015. The report explains the intersection of human capital and technology, and its growing role in promoting employee engagement. According to the report, “by 2018, 30% of organizations will formalize workforce digital literacy strategies to improve business outcomes and employee engagement.”. View the report here: Gartner,“ Cool Vendor in the Digital Workplace, 2015 ”, Matthew W.

Companies operating within the US are not immune to the horrible violence that has recently occurred, and it’s difficult to ignore the horrific losses we’ve faced throughout our country. Even if your team is not directly impacted by these events, it doesn’t mean they don’t need space to digest tragic events. For those having difficulty coping with the recent losses occurring in Orlando and Oakland , here are a few steps employers can use to help their team through the grieving process. Address your company. Instead, hold a meeting addressing the recent events. Be empathetic. Support

It’s Monday, and you’re on your way to own the day at work. As you open the door to your office building, you’re greeted with the overwhelming smell of last Friday’s sushi celebration dinner. Whoops, someone forgot to throw away the trash. Next, you stumble onto a pile of packages that you’re not too sure where they belong. Sounds like a little office housekeeping is in order. Office management is something many up-and-coming businesses tend to overlook, because it doesn’t seem to directly impact the operations of the business. Except, it does. Mail logistic. Office supplies.

When looking for senior leaders in your organization, do you look internally or externally to fill those roles? While external leaders can shake things up by bringing new ideas to the table, there is great  value in looking to your existing team for senior positions– that is if you’ve prepped them for the transition. With the right training and mentorship, your next CMO could come through the ranks. Room for growth is often cited as a major interest for up and coming employees, and it’s a great opportunity for leaders to capitalize on this interest. Assign additional responsibilities.

People are complex—which makes for an interesting workforce. Since we do not live in a perfect world, problems and complications arise at work , potentially bringing out some undesired traits from your employees. That said, labeling employees as toxic is counterintuitive to building workplace culture. Employees can have a bad day or week at work, but should they define how leaders view their talent? Great leadership requires one to look beyond the surface to see where the heart of the issues lies. Behavior: Negative Nancy. Behavior:  Slacking. Pop in and ask about their workload.

Employers in the U.S. loose billions of dollars every year to absenteeism and loss of productivity, so doing everything they can to improve morale, health, and efficiency is a smart business move. Office workers (employers included!) spend an average of 40 hours a week, sometimes much more, in an office environment, so what their surroundings look like has a big impact on their state of mind, their development, their health, and performance. And that’s something both employees and employers can happily get behind. We are naturally  drawn to nature. There are many reasons this makes sense.

The job market is a jungle, and there is fierce competition to procure outstanding employees. In order to stay competitive, employers have to stay on top of their talent acquisition game. Social media is becoming a staple in organizations, as it provides a means to engage with their audience and customer base with relative ease. More importantly, companies are now leveraging their social channels to find new employees. Before you write off Twitter, let’s go over how social media recruiting can transform how you find your future rising stars. Wider talent pool. Big reward, minimal investment.

Reducing the environmental impact of your workplace is good for the plant, and good for your employees. Employees Employees appreciate management’s efforts to be community-minded, and they want to feel they are a valuable component in that effort. There There seems to be a growing list of possible improvements for a greener workplace– some of them as intimidating a redesigning the building, and others as simple as adding a new recycling bin in the break room. Recycle Everything. You can hire contractors to take away the recyclables your municipality doesn’t handle.

I often see people mistaking perks for culture. They are lured to join a company with Ping-Pong tables and a fully stocked beer refrigerator, only to find that many people in the company are disengaged and frustrated. Games and a kegerator do not necessarily make for a strong culture. Instead, I like to define culture in terms of a high-performance culture, one that exhibits qualities like communication, collaboration, mission and value alignment, innovation and accountability. I’m not saying that perks are bad. Then I recruited great people and formed teams to help pursue that vision.

If you need an idea for a team building event, look no further. CultureIQ’s very own Brady Loeck tells the story of The Culture Games: Here at CultureIQ, we take turns planning events and activities to maintain and develop our culture. This way each employee gets an opportunity to contribute a splash of their personality to the activities. At our team meeting a couple months ago, we realized we were due for a culture event, but lacking a designated planner. For a few seconds there was silence, and then a voice rang out. It was my voice. volunteered. Building a culture is about traditions.

The holidays are among us. It’s that time of year where businesses are booming and consumerism is at its peak. With business up and vacation requests flying in, it’s no surprise that organizations are staffing accordingly. Seasonal workers are the reason for the season as they allow companies to increase their business output without having to permanently expand their operations. That said, temp workers often get the short end of the attention stick when it comes to their induction into the workplace culture. Maintaining Operational Standards. An untapped talent resource. Budget friendly PR.

When thinking about culture-driven workplaces, images of game rooms, accent walls, and bar carts come to mind, all of which are certainly fun, but not essential, components of culture. Therefore, it can be tempting to dismiss the workplace as a superficial element of company culture. However, the workplace is much more than that. workplace influences how employees interact with each other, what resources they can access, and how they feel when they walk into work every day. What Kind of Culture Is Your Workplace Promoting . Read here ). Quick Fixes to Improve Your Work Environment .

Having a team that genuinely gets along is a great feeling. Even better, teamwork and collaboration is good for business. Summertime is here, and providing fun and meaningful team events is not only good for morale, but for your organization overall. In fact, happy employees are 12 percent more productive, according to FastCompany. . Here are a few ways to get your people together this summer, after all, ’tis the season for picnics, summer Fridays, and baseball games! Scavenger hunt. Have your employees channel their inner child by hosting a scavenger hunt. Themed food events. Sports day.

It’s that time of year where many of us are scrambling to the finish line to file our 2015 taxes. Due to Washington, D.C.’s ’s observance of Emancipation Day, which falls on April 15 this year, the IRS is deferring to the legal holiday. That means taxes aren’t due until April 18! Even sweeter are the tax freebies that a few major brands are doling out. Whether you’re in for a small windfall or you’re waiting until the last minute to fork over your cash to Uncle Sam, reward yourself with some free treats on Tax day! Kona Ice  (also a 2015 Top Company Cultures winner!

If you’re looking for employees’ feedback on your company culture (and you should be !), it’s important to ask the right questions. Social scientists, who often use surveys as a research tool, have done studies on designing a survey to give you the most accurate, clear, and reliable results. There’s way more to this topic than can be covered in a blog post, but here are a few pointers that may help you create employee surveys about your company culture. 1) Start with the end in mind. Before you start creating your employee survey, think about what you want to find out. Yes, it was efficient.

It’s no secret that coffee makes the world go ‘round. Considering that approximately 54 percent of Americans over the age of 18 consume at least a cup of coffee every day, it’s safe to say that we sure do love our coffee. Java is awesome, and there is something to be said about the coffee experience itself. Most of us have a favorite spot that includes a few baristas that have become a comforting, key part of our routine. This loyalty isn’t just the mark of good tasting coffee, it is also a perfect example of a great workplace culture. It’s all in the details. Building the relationship.

Up until recently, your company operated as a brick-and-mortar business. But after doing your due diligence and seeing competitors thrive by offering remote work opportunities to their employees, you’re ready to adopt some flexible work policies of your own and put them into practice. You’re concerned, though, that your company culture might get lost in the transition. Here are four tips on how to translate your culture to a remote workplace. Create constant communication. You don’t want just any ol’ apps, though; you want proven communication tools that make sense for your company.

The sun is out and our calendars are turned to June, which can only mean one thing… it’s summer intern season! While it might be tempting to pass off the coffee orders to your summer interns, you should think twice before you create a negative intern culture in your office. When Collegefeed asked 15,000 college students and recent graduates  about their most important considerations when choosing future employers, “People and culture fit” came out on top. Therefore, Tips for Creating a Positive Summer Intern Culture. Give interns a warm welcome and a meaningful farewell.

Change is the norm. New technologies and systems are popping up left and right, and it feels like the focus has shifted from mastery to “keeping up.” ” The same fast pace applies to your company culture– being  strategic about your culture requires you to keep up with the evolving needs of your team and customers. As the leader, this puts you in a tough spot. For example, while you see the importance of a new system, your team can feel out-paced and struggle with implementation. This begs the question–why is it difficult to adopt to change?

It’s that time of year — the 100-day dash between late summer and mid-Fall where employees and managers alike try to complete projects and connect with clients before the holiday season pulls everyone away from their desks. For many industries, the end of the year is a traditionally slow time. After summer vacation, we get into gear in the early fall months and naturally slow down our efforts as the year comes to a close. But does it have to be that way? Proactively address seasonal depression. Approach time with some creativity. Don’t let empty seats affect morale. Office Life

Employee feedback is invaluable. However, it doesn’t do much good if the feedback isn’t meaningful or honest. While your company should strive to create a culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and opinions, it can be scary for employees to take that leap, especially if their opinions include constructive criticism. Anonymous employee surveys are an important component of a broader feedback program , one that includes open conversations, suggestion outlets, and regular meetings. Why Anonymity Means Meaningful Feedback. Culture Engagement Feedback Surveys

Earlier this week we talked about why it’s important to integrate your seasonal workers into your company culture. Now that we’ve established “why,” let’s talk about the “how.” Today, we’re going to talk about best practice methods that allow talent leaders to nurture rising stars from their seasonal teams. Plant the seed. Not all seasonal workers come in with the same expectations. Some Some are looking to earn more for the holidays, while others are looking to turn their employment into a long-term gig. You want to start the conversation early. Gain support from your staff.

Fun and innovative office designs seem to be popping up every day. However, in However, in the midsts of this hype around trendy workspaces, it’s important to not ignore the basics of an ergonomic workstation. proper workstation affects employee productivity as well as their comfort and safety. With With all the technology and devices available, it can be hard to keep track of the latest recommendations for an ergonomic workstation. What is a comfortable and healthy sitting position? Feet  flat on the ground. Knees bent at approximately the same height as your hips. Shoulders relaxed.

What it Measures. The Net Promoter® Score (NPS®) is a concept pioneered and trademarked by Bain & Company, Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. It is designed as a way to measure customer loyalty by organizing customers into promoters, passives, and detractors with the question “How likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or relative?”. The employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) applies that concept to internal employees to get a snapshot of employee loyalty and engagement. you are able to segment employees into promoters, passives, and detractors. What It Means.

While I love coming into the office, I’m also a huge fan of working from home. It fits well with my personal work style and habits, but I recognize this is not a universal opinion. hear plenty of people complain that they simply aren’t as productive outside of the office, even if their employer offers a flexible workplace policy. Unsung Benefits of Working from Home. Why am I such a fan of working from home? Aside from really enjoying the lighting in my home work space (really, it’s perfect for working), there are some pretty significant benefits that apply to the larger population.

Google famously has a policy advocating that employees devote 20% of their time at work to unofficial projects- ideas that aren’t worth formally proposing or that still need some ironing out, but that the software developer thinks have big potential. Responsible for several now critical Google apps, Gmail among them, 20% time is often cited as a major benefit to working at Google. Whether or not the policy exists in the same form at Google today, as a software developer, I can tell you that the concept is still extremely appealing. You never know what you’ll need to build tomorrow.

Take a moment to envision your organization in your mind. What is your gut feeling? If there was optimism, great! If you felt a little dread, it’s time to open up the hood of your work culture. More to the point, if you feel anguish about the state of your organization, imagine what your employees feel. If you’re struggling to raise your approval ratings at work, here are some tips to help get employee satisfaction back on the right track. Define the culture. As we regularly discuss, having an identifiable culture is important. Fuse personal and professional objectives.

In a competitive marketplace, organizations try to combat new challenges and disruptive ideas with innovation and creativity. But there’s just one thing — it’s practically impossible to be innovative and creative if you’re restricted by a fear of failure. You simply don’t have access to the agility required to respond and adapt to new problems with new solutions. It’s natural for employees to fear failure. It feels good to excel at your job, and the promotions that come with success feel pretty good, too. To the untrained eye, failure can seem an awful lot like making mistakes.

If business were a fairytale, HR would be the wicked stepmother. At times they appear to be unfair, or even mean. However, the way I see it, it’s this reputation that is is unfair–  not only is HR often put between a rock and hard place, but also the function (as many see it) is simply outdated. Let’s talk about redefining and elevating HR, so that teams can put down their pitchforks and appreciate the function for what it can be. The path to becoming Toby from The Office. Redefining and elevating the function. Here’s How.” The solution? Redefine and  elevate HR.

In the days leading up to the last business conference I attended in Las Vegas, a million different scenarios of what could possibly go wrong began to fill my head: What if my bag gets lost at the airport? Did I book the right flight? What if it rains and I didn’t pack an umbrella? You can let your employees experience this mild form of panic and figure it out as they go OR you can give them a head start and share these tips that I picked up along the way. Some of these might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to flake on the basics: Pack accordingly. Check weather.

Coping with the loss of a loved one is terribly hard. There are so many moving parts that one has to navigate, and your job is a part of that equation. As an employer, there will be instances where an unfortunate circumstance falls on the shoulders of one of your employees. Immediate supervisors can lend a hand in helping a grieving employee through their tough time. Here are a few ways leaders can support an employee coping with a loss in the family, or really, any loved one. Be a resource. Your team member is going to need some time off. Be a leader. Be supportive.

With business agility comes change in your technology systems. I’m not one to complain about the latest and greatest technology, but after spending the past year learning one system, it can be intimidating (and a bit frustrating) to shift over to a whole new process. Carefully train employees to make sure the new technology excites, and not alienates, your team. Make Training a Priority. If employees can’t effectively use the newly implemented solutions, productivity and employee morale will suffer. Create a change management plan with training as the centerpiece.

Employee newsletters are an important component of a company’s communication program. They are a great way to share company updates, recognize employees, and build community, yet none of these benefits apply if they go unread month after month. If that sounds like your employee newsletter, maybe it’s time for a makeover! Brand It. Treat your employee newsletter like you would any other piece of marketing material. Leverage it as a tool to inform your employees, engage your audience, and build your employer brand. Visuals, Visuals, Visuals. Invite Interaction. Add a Quick Tip.

Life has many challenges — and the workplace waits for no one. Further, many of the challenges and obstacles that people face daily aren’t always readily identifiable. So, with the complexities of workplace, what role can leaders play in creating a positive work environment? One way is by expressing gratitude in the workplace. . Gratitude by definition is the quality of being thankful– possessing readiness to show appreciation and to return thanks. By practicing mindful gratitude, you can contribute to fostering a positive environment in the workplace. . Practice sincerity.

According to the Aberdeen Group , 57 percent of companies use pre-hire assessments. And chances are that not all these companies are handling the procedure correctly. Assessments Assessments in hiring can be a great asset during the recruiting process, but you really need to be strategic and smart about it. Beware the Science of Questions. Have you ever tried to write a really good question to judge how much someone knows? It’s hard. So when using intelligence testing or skills testing in an interview, beware of writing your own questions. Mind the Law. Test for Aptitude, Not Knowledge.

With business agility comes change in your technology systems. I’m not one to complain about the latest and greatest technology, but after spending the past year learning one system, it can be intimidating (and a bit frustrating) to shift over to a whole new process. Carefully train employees to make sure the new technology excites, and not alienates, your team. Make Training a Priority. If employees can’t effectively use the newly implemented solutions, productivity and employee morale will suffer. Create a change management plan with training as the centerpiece.

At their best, town hall meetings are an opportunity for senior leadership and all employees to connect, collaborate, and share updates. At their worst, these company-wide meetings can simply be a waste of time, where it feels more like a one-sided lecture better served as an email. It’s rare to pull everyone together, either virtually or in-person, so take advantage of this opportunity and make it an event that actively (and positively!) contributes to your company’s culture. 1. Play music. Incorporate a meal into the meeting. Present awards at the meeting.

Employee surveys don’t need to be long and comprehensive to provide value. Take the guesswork out of decisions by leveraging feedback through short and frequent employee surveys. Consider these creative employee surveys to actively involve everyone in improving your company culture: Prioritizing Action Steps. Even if you have compiled a list of action items to address culture pain points, chances are that they each take time, planning, and funds. This is a great opportunity to ask for employees to weigh in on which change would have the most positive effect on your company culture.

Gathering anonymous employee feedback is at the core of managing your company culture, but you can’t stop there. Your follow-up is just as important as sending an employee survey in the first place. Unfortunately, a lot of people get caught up in what to do after an employee survey closes. This This post will provide you some direction so you can feel confident tackling this process. 1. Understand the results. The first step is understanding what the information you gathered means for your organization. for additional insight. Another quick tip is to not hog the results. A This step is key.

At CultureIQ, we believe in the value of community. Participating in a dialogue with other companies sparks new ideas and ways of thinking about culture. It provides a way to learn about initiatives without all the trial and error, and most importantly, it can promote accountability. Last Thursday, we hosted our first client workshop. Representatives from four companies visited our offices in Manhattan for a three-hour dialogue centered around scaling culture during growth. According to a study by Google , an employee can be hired with 86% confidence after 4 interviews. Community Engagement

If you dabble in the latest management and human resources trends, you might have heard of ROWE. ROWE stands for “Results Only Work Environment ,” and it was created by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson. This strategy focuses on the output of employees rather than many hours they clock in each day, making it quite the shift from the traditional workplace environment. However, it’s taken a hold in some of the biggest workplaces in the US, including the Gap and the White House. ROWE In Action at the White House. Pros of ROWE. Why is ROWE so beneficial? Cons of ROWE.

Has your employee newsletter been in the same format for years? Do you always fall back on the same icebreaker activities before employee workshops? Have employees started to roll their eyes at some of these well-intentioned initiatives? It’s easy to get stuck in autopilot with these types of things. Even though spring season just wrapped up, that shouldn’t stop us from doing a little “spring cleaning” of our culture efforts. Creative Ways to Use Employee Surveys. Icebreakers to Encourage Collaboration at Work Events. The 2 Minute Guide to Memorable Employee Workshops.

Are you experiencing low response rate blues? Here are a few things you can do increase participation rates so that you gather the highest quality feedback with each employee survey. 1. Create excitement around the survey. The race for high response rates should start even before the survey goes live. Create excitement around the employee survey and communicate any goals and expectations. If If you are using a third party service (like CultureIQ ), notify everyone of the partnership so they know what to expect. As with all company culture efforts, buy-in needs to happen on all level. Follow up!

Your new hire onboarding process is when you set the tone for an employee’s experience. When done well, new employees will feel confident and excited. When done poorly, new hires might be left confused, lost, and doubting their new job choice. According to a report compiled by SHRM , “half of all senior outside hires fail within the first 18 months in a new position,” and “half of all hourly workers leave new jobs within the first 120 days.” ” Don’t let your employees become part of those statistics. Not setting expectations and company policies. 

As you optimize your employee survey design , it’s important to get a second (and third and fourth) opinion. This can help you figure out whether the survey is really testing what you want it to test, identify ambiguities in the questions or structure, and catch typos or duplicate questions. Here, we’ll break down a few different ways you can test and refine your survey before sending it to employees. Expert Review. As a first step in refining your survey draft, you may want to show it to experts in survey design and/or in the topics you’re looking to investigate. Test Run. Conclusion.

– Guest post by Caroline Kangas of Stories Incorporated. When I was looking for a new job, gauging culture was something that was important to me—but I found it was a lot harder than it sounds. Short of knowing someone at a prospective company or reading online reviews (which could be colored by experiences that are unrelated to true culture), how can candidates gain a sense of what it’s like to work someplace? So that said, how should the recruiter substantiate their claims for prospective candidates? One word: Stories. So, how do you share your stories? So, what are you waiting for?

If you’ve brought someone new into your company recently, you know how important the first few weeks can be in introducing them to your culture. Onboarding is a hot topic right now, but welcoming new employees is more than plying them with tons of swag, champagne, or even a chauffeured ride to work. As a recent addition to the CultureIQ team, I wanted to share a few things I learned from my onboarding process. Here are a few ways to make your new hire feel welcome, and set the tone for a positive work experience. 1. Start early. Set up for success. Be approachable.

©iStockphoto.com/ belchonock. Mission statement, core values, company culture code. You hear these words thrown around a lot, but what do they really mean? And do you need them in your company? To start, here is how CultureIQ defines each term: Mission Statement: A company mission statement is a clear and concise definition of what guides you as a company. An effective mission statement can serve as motivation for your employees by explaining your purpose and goals as a business. Our mission: To enable any company to understand, manage, and strengthen their culture. Our values: . Absolutely! At

As we ring in a new year, a lot of people have one thing on their mind: getting a solid start on their new year’s resolutions. For many, this includes focusing on healthy eating. With employee wellness programs gaining more credibility as an effective measure , you are in a unique position to help employees with this goal. Not only does food wellness at work help employees achieve their personal goals, but it also can have a positive impact on overall productivity. Additionally, food wellness initiatives are relatively low-cost and easy to implement. Culture Fun Tips Workplace

We talk about culture and diversity a lot — there’s a reason for that. At the heart of a thriving organization is a dedicated team full of diverse individuals using their skills and experiences to further their organization’s purpose. Without the harmony that comes from accepting diversity, organizations miss out on both business and personal development opportunities. While we are all very different as individuals, everyone has to eat! A potluck is a perfect way to marry those two facts and celebrate cultural diversity in the workplace along the way. Pick a theme. Jazz it up.

How well do you know your team? More specifically, what are their strengths or areas of opportunity? Understanding what makes your employees tick is part of being an emotionally intelligent leader. As we’ve discussed previously , EI leaders kill it at workplace culture because they make the investment in getting to know their team. But you don’t have to be a mind reader to get a sense of your employee climate. In fact, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a great place to start. Know the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator basics. This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I). Bottom line.

Peak intern season is wrapping up, so it’s a perfect time to take what you’ve learned and make changes for the next go-round. As As you adjust your programming for the next wave of interns, keep these five common mistakes in mind… and avoid them! 1. Throwing interns into their work right away. A new situation of any type can be intimidating, and on top of that, problems arise when people are afraid to ask for help. Proactively walk interns through the ins and outs of the role and company with a formal  onboarding. Skimping on compensation. Letting the intern fly solo.

We have all worked in organizations that get caught in group think, or that stagnate. We have all experienced projects with people who aren’t open to feedback, who are passive, or who just echo without adding. For most of us, it is instinctual to avoid conflict. We don’t want to deal with it or the impact it might have on our relationships or mood. Margaret is a captivating storyteller, and I would recommend watching the short (12 min) talk. Well, for the most part, they don’t. And that isn’t because they don’t want to, it’s really because they can’t.

Citrix studies indicate that 64 percent of American workers would be willing to give up at least one perk to work remotely one day a week. With flexible work arrangements on the rise and as companies shift their policies to retain top talent, physical attendance at the office isn’t always a requirement. Management is challenging on its own, and these changes bring about a new set of considerations for managers of a remote workforce. 1. Be Prepared to Communicate. Communication and collaboration can be a challenge when everyone is in the same place at the same time.

A few weeks ago, my colleague Jamie cut off a 1/3 to 1/2 of her hair. It was a big change, it looked great, and it was recognized by exactly two people in the office (shout out to Erin and Jeremy!). In jest, Jamie mentioned this to me as we were typing away on our computers (we sit diagonal from each other), and I felt somewhat sheepish having recognized the difference but never told her that I thought the change looked good. Then, upon further reflection, I didn’t feel quite as bad! used to do this ALL THE TIME at my last job. Even bad haircuts got the “Looking sharp Larry!”

Recruiting is like marketing. It’s all about figuring out where your target audience (in this case, the ideal candidate) spends their time online, and then reaching them there. This This is where social media comes into play. It is an easy and inexpensive tool to do just that and promote your employer brand. Facebook. With well over a billion users, Facebook remains the most-used social media platform on the planet. If you haven’t already, create a company Facebook page and ask your clients and website visitors to follow you and “Like” the page. Twitter. LinkedIn. YouTube.

It can be a dog-eat-dog world out there when it comes to recruiting, and your current employees might just be the secret to connecting with the top talent. Involving employees in Involving employees in the recruiting process taps into their skills while developing a collaborative culture. Personal Connections. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review , a survey shows that over 70 percent of millennials hear about prospective jobs through friends, beating out job boards and on-campus job fairs. You’d be missing out if you don’t tap into that opportunity. Social Media.

One of the primary goals of an onboarding process is to help new hires acclimate to the social and professional expectations of their new work environment so that they can proceed comfortably and effectively in their roles. As more companies choose to hire remote workers, they face the challenge of creating an onboarding process that accomplishes this goal for virtual employees. Welcoming your new employees in person makes it easy to answer questions, meet team members, and get their reactions. Having no opportunities to bond through face-to-face meetings is a very different experience.

One of our values at CultureIQ is “be open to change and maintain flexibility.” We often hear from our clients that they love our software because it is so flexible and highly customizable. Along the same lines, one of my absolute favorite things about working at CultureIQ is the never ending curiosity of our organization. We have a continual thirst to always be learning, and making things better as a result. It is with this spirit, and in alignment with our values, that we recently undertook an exploration of our core survey. Our Approach. So what does all this mean?

Collaboration. What might seem like a simple topic is actually a significant challenge for organizations of all sizes and across all industries. That’s because a collaborative culture is one of the hardest things to build and maintain as a company grows and scales. However, it is also an extremely important ingredient to ensure long-term success. At CultureIQ, we use the following definition of collaboration: “In a collaborative company, people cooperate, share, and work well together.” Therefore, we encourage you to consider the following dynamics: Collaboration within teams.

It’s the first work day of the new year, so together, let’s resolve to make work culture even better in 2016. Here are a few tenets to keep in mind along the way: Work smarter, not harder. These days there are many tools available to capitalize on efficiency. Talent leaders no longer have to be mind readers to learn what their employees think about the workplace. The best way to gain insight on where your employees stand is by going straight to the horse’s mouth.  Survey your team to see how they feel about the current climate of the workplace and what needs attention. Support your troops.

In 2015, it’s hard enough to get top talent through the doors, but retaining them—that’s a whole other challenge. Today’s top talent expects a return for their skills. It’s broader than just more money and compliments. They’re looking for the whole enchilada. Not surprisingly, Airbnb, Bain & Company, and Guidewire—the top three companies based on the employee-nominated 2016  Glassdoor’s  Employees’ Choice Awards heard the call and answered. Let’s talk about the four traits these organizations brought to the table that earned them their bragging rights. Career Opportunities. Engagement ogo

It’s no secret that the workplace is changing. With Gen Y poised to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025 , we’re seeing open office floor plans, flexible schedules, and open-ended vacation policies. Yes, the structure of the 9 to 5 has indeed evolved. What does this mean for the traditional workplace hierarchy? Well, that is changing too. As the traditional management hierarchy is dissolving, businesses are moving to more  collaborative work cultures. Still, bosses that adopt a leadership role fair better with their employees. The major difference is motivation.

The holidays are a time of cheer and wonder for many. In fact, leaders can learn a thing or two about how to apply holiday principals to ramp up their workplace. Think about it—this time of year requires people to listen, empathize, and share experiences together. The same happens in the workplace. Here are three ways leaders can apply the holiday spirit to build a strong workplace culture: The Gift of…. Listening. Around the holidays, people have to do a fair amount of listening. They have to learn what their loved ones want for gifts, who likes what dish, and the list goes on. Giving.

People are complex—which makes for an interesting workforce. Since we do not live in a perfect world, problems and complications arise at work , potentially bringing out some undesired traits from your employees. That said, labeling employees as toxic is counterintuitive to building workplace culture. Employees can have a bad day or week at work, but should they define how leaders view their talent? Great leadership requires one to look beyond the surface to see where the heart of the issues lies. Behavior: Negative Nancy. Behavior:  Slacking. Pop in and ask about their workload.

When looking for senior leaders in your organization, do you look internally or externally to fill those roles? While external leaders can shake things up by bringing new ideas to the table, there is great  value in looking to your existing team for senior positions– that is if you’ve prepped them for the transition. With the right training and mentorship, your next CMO could come through the ranks. Room for growth is often cited as a major interest for up and coming employees, and it’s a great opportunity for leaders to capitalize on this interest. Assign additional responsibilities.

A few weeks ago, my colleague Jamie cut off a 1/3 to 1/2 of her hair. It was a big change, it looked great, and it was recognized by exactly two people in the office (shout out to Erin and Jeremy!). In jest, Jamie mentioned this to me as we were typing away on our computers (we sit diagonal from each other), and I felt somewhat sheepish having recognized the difference but never told her that I thought the change looked good. Then, upon further reflection, I didn’t feel quite as bad! used to do this ALL THE TIME at my last job. Even bad haircuts got the “Looking sharp Larry!”

Reducing the environmental impact of your workplace is good for the plant, and good for your employees. Employees Employees appreciate management’s efforts to be community-minded, and they want to feel they are a valuable component in that effort. There There seems to be a growing list of possible improvements for a greener workplace– some of them as intimidating a redesigning the building, and others as simple as adding a new recycling bin in the break room. Recycle Everything. You can hire contractors to take away the recyclables your municipality doesn’t handle.

I often see people mistaking perks for culture. They are lured to join a company with Ping-Pong tables and a fully stocked beer refrigerator, only to find that many people in the company are disengaged and frustrated. Games and a kegerator do not necessarily make for a strong culture. Instead, I like to define culture in terms of a high-performance culture, one that exhibits qualities like communication, collaboration, mission and value alignment, innovation and accountability. I’m not saying that perks are bad. Then I recruited great people and formed teams to help pursue that vision.

The following article originally appeared in our friend  Ruth K. Ross’s blog. . Ruth K. Ross is a highly respected engagement evangelist and thought leader who writes and speaks on achieving high engagement and the need to cure the disengagement affliction that is spreading uncontrollably in today’s global workforce. She She works with organizations to create an engaged workforce by focusing on passion, performance and productivity. Ruth is the author of “Coming Alive: The Journey To Reengage Your Life And Career”. Engagement doesn’t happen without ownership and hard work. know I can.

If you dabble in the latest management and human resources trends, you might have heard of ROWE. ROWE stands for “Results Only Work Environment ,” and it was created by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson. This strategy focuses on the output of employees rather than many hours they clock in each day, making it quite the shift from the traditional workplace environment. However, it’s taken a hold in some of the biggest workplaces in the US, including the Gap and the White House. ROWE In Action at the White House. Pros of ROWE. Why is ROWE so beneficial? Cons of ROWE.

At their best, town hall meetings are an opportunity for senior leadership and all employees to connect, collaborate, and share updates. At their worst, these company-wide meetings can simply be a waste of time, where it feels more like a one-sided lecture better served as an email. It’s rare to pull everyone together, either virtually or in-person, so take advantage of this opportunity and make it an event that actively (and positively!) contributes to your company’s culture. 1. Play music. Incorporate a meal into the meeting. Present awards at the meeting.

The CultureIQ team is an eclectic bunch, both in personality and professional background. Some of us come from a corporate background, some from academia, and others have spent most of their time at startups. This diversity This diversity gives us great ideas on the product and business, but also helps us come up with new and different culture events. So, in the spirit of appreciating what everyone brings to the table, I decided to poll members of the CultureIQ team about their favorite team building events (past, present, or future). It’s easy to organize and low-pressure.

If you need an idea for a team building event, look no further. CultureIQ’s very own Brady Loeck tells the story of The Culture Games: Here at CultureIQ, we take turns planning events and activities to maintain and develop our culture. This way each employee gets an opportunity to contribute a splash of their personality to the activities. At our team meeting a couple months ago, we realized we were due for a culture event, but lacking a designated planner. For a few seconds there was silence, and then a voice rang out. It was my voice. volunteered. Building a culture is about traditions.

Brand is the bread and butter of any business. But branding extends beyond the messages you are transmitting to your target customer. This is where your employer brand comes into play. Your employer brand is how your company is framed to current and potential employees, how your current employees talk about their experience at your company, and how candidates perceive working at your company. It’s your reaction (good or bad) to hearing someone say, “ I work at _.” Of course, the experience of your current employees is crucial in creating a strong employer brand.

Company culture has gone digital. Your workplace culture is no longer determined by the attitude in the office on any given today. Rather, your company culture is more likely influenced by the conversations taking place on social networking sites and the messages that are being shared about your employer brand online. Given this fact, it’s more important than ever for human resources professionals to know how to leverage social media in order to improve company culture. And it turns out that social media and company culture can be great friends. Culture Engagement HR Technology Workplac

To an employee, flextime sounds like a dream come true. But to a manager, flextime might seem like a logistical nightmare. We’re seeing more and more companies implement policies that enable employees to choose their preferred working hours. Such policies allow employees to improve the balance between their professional and personal lives, which can have a positive effect on your workplace culture. Flextime Pros. According to Entrepreneur , flextime improves overall job satisfaction among employees. Today’s Today’s employees are juggling a lot of demands on their time.

Employee workshops range from fall-asleep-boring to over-the-top entertaining. On one hand, you want to make your upcoming workshops as informative as possible without lulling employees to sleep. But if you make workshops too explosive and stimulating, the information will get lost in all of the activity. Fortunately you can find a balance to create a memorable, informative program. Here’s how to make your next employee workshop pop without losing its fizzle. Social Media Spotlight. There are a lot of applications for social media in employee programming these days. Loosen Up!

It seems that everyone is shifting from cubicle-heavy spaces to open-office floor plans. Open offices fit in line with an image of a “trendy” office space, categorized by optimal lighting, branded decorations, and collaborative, invigorated employees. However, open offices simply aren’t for everyone. If you’re thinking about making this shift in your workplace, first consider the pros and cons of an open-office floor plan. Perks of an Open-Office Floor Plan. Open offices create an atmosphere of great collaboration between all levels of employees. Open spaces increase natural lighting.

Has your employee newsletter been in the same format for years? Do you always fall back on the same icebreaker activities before employee workshops? Have employees started to roll their eyes at some of these well-intentioned initiatives? It’s easy to get stuck in autopilot with these types of things. Even though spring season just wrapped up, that shouldn’t stop us from doing a little “spring cleaning” of our culture efforts. Creative Ways to Use Employee Surveys. Icebreakers to Encourage Collaboration at Work Events. The 2 Minute Guide to Memorable Employee Workshops.

Employee feedback is invaluable. However, it doesn’t do much good if the feedback isn’t meaningful or honest. While your company should strive to create a culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and opinions, it can be scary for employees to take that leap, especially if their opinions include constructive criticism. Anonymous employee surveys are an important component of a broader feedback program , one that includes open conversations, suggestion outlets, and regular meetings. Why Anonymity Means Meaningful Feedback. Culture Engagement Feedback Surveys

A few months ago I turned off my phone and stepped away from my email for a week to attend a Harvard Business School Executive Education program coordinated by the Young Presidents’ Organization. joined hundreds of other CEOs, presidents, and business leaders from around the globe to learn from some of the most dynamic business professors in academia. While I am an active participant in academia (I earned my MBA from The Wharton School almost 20 years ago, and I currently teach at New York University Stern School of Business), this event proved to be different. Culture isn’t about money.

A few months ago we posted a feature on creative uses for employee surveys, but sometimes an infographic is just a lot more fun: The post 5 Creative Uses for Employee Surveys (Infographic) appeared first on CultureIQ Blog. Customers Surveys

Last month, on May 18, 2016, President Obama and Secretary Perez changed the way we work with the Department of Labor’s final rule updating the overtime regulations. This overtime law will extend overtime pay protections to over 4 million workers within the first year. Here’s what you need to know about the new law, and some low-hanging fruit to help teams rise to their potential at work. Here’s the scoop. It all began on July 6, 2015 when the Department published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register and asked for feedback regarding the proposal. When it’s going down.

Earlier this year CultureIQ teamed up with Entrepreneur  to find high-performance cultures all over the country to feature in our Top Company Cultures list. And today, we’re proud to announce that we were successful. Many companies — of all industries, states, and sizes — participated in this year’s program, and Entrepreneur will be sharing some of their inspiring stories. We believe this is a great opportunity to learn from each other, and from your employees. We believe you cannot understand a culture without getting both sides of the story. Culture Management

Employee engagement is a huge challenge today that every company is trying to tackle. What makes employees happy? What keeps them around? And what can we (as leaders, entrepreneurs and fellow colleagues) do about it? The  Society for Human Resource Management released a report stating that “respectful treatment of all employees” was the number-one contributor to job satisfaction. And “trust between employees and senior management” was the second. What an amazingly simple idea for a surprisingly common challenge. Listen to each other. Show employees that you care. Help each other.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak with thousands of companies asking them how they measure their company culture and what steps they take to strengthen their culture. One of the most common responses to the measurement question is the use of an annual employee engagement survey. An annual survey is a terrific step, however, it’s not enough. The workplace is rapidly changing, new technologies are changing every business, and your company and industry are likely quickly changing as well. This brings me to the second part of my research: how do you take steps to strengthen your culture?

If you go to AppNexus’s Glassdoor page, it is full of green stars. These ratings are particularly impressive for a company that has grown from 30 to 1000 in the past seven years. The AppNexus culture first got put on my radar after hearing Lorraine Buhannic, the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at AppNexus, speak on a panel about company culture. left feeling incredibly inspired, and I wanted to learn more. Thus, I synced up with Brandon Atkinson, the Chief People Officer at AppNexus. An above and beyond culture: “ It’s a culture where good is never good enough. Onboarding.

At CultureIQ, we define company culture as “how things get done in an organization.” In the spirit of sharing ideas around company culture, we are starting a series called “How Things Get Done at…” that will highlight the culture at a different company each week. To kick off the series, we spoke with Phil DeGisi, the CMO of CommonBond , a New York-based startup consumer lender that currently focuses on funding and refinancing student loans. Attitude, Ownership, Delivering Results. The word playground implies that there is an element of fun and exploration  involved in working at CommonBond.

On Thursday, April 14th, we hosted a community event in partnership with Betts Recruiting. We brought together leaders from Skaled , SoulCycle , and The Muse to discuss “Building an Employer Brand to Align Your Culture and Business Goals.”. Remind me, what do you mean by employer brand ? Your employer brand is how your company is framed to current and potential employees, how your current employees talk about their experience at your company, and how candidates perceive working at your company. It’s the reaction (good or bad) to hearing someone say, “ I work at _.”. Negative @Glassdoor reviews?

One of our core values is to “Celebrate and enjoy the journey,” and our journey so far has been nothing short of amazing! Highlights include working with hundreds of companies around the world, developing our passionate and talented team, and evolving as a product and a company. Today, we want to bring you in on the celebration by sharing the story behind our new look and some of the exciting updates to our platform. We are a culture company. Culture is a team effort, and as the image above illustrates, our platform connects leadership to employees through feedback. What’s next?