Company culture is a basic yet extremely essential piece of a business. It influences practically every part of an organisation. From enrolling top talent to further developing employee satisfaction, it's the foundation of building a cheerful team.

Without a positive corporate culture, numerous employees will battle to track down the genuine worth in their work, and this is definitely not the experience we curate for our team at PlanetSpark.

This got us thinking and we got in a conversation with Surbhi Sharma, our very own Human Resource Expert. She shared that, "The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular society is known as its culture. A company’s culture is determined by these overarching set of principles and values that guides organisational behaviour and activity by providing a common ground for thought.

Some of the key factors determining company culture include the work environment, company’s purpose of being, core values, style of management, workplace ethics, and thought process of the employees. It can also include the unsaid and unwritten rules that influence employees to act in a particular way and more."

She added, "According to a recent international study, when searching for a new job, 77% of professionals said they would consider a company's culture before applying. It is also observed that 2 out of 3 employees fall out because of culture issues."

But what constitutes an ideal company culture?

One of the key things that is linked to the umbrella of factors determining a company’s culture is workplace involvement. A great company culture ensures involvement of its employees in personal and professional spheres, both within and outside the normal working hours.

Surbhi's take on Building a Positive Work Culture

Surbhi Sharma, Human Resources Business Partner at Planet Spark, talks about her take on an ideal company culture and HR strategies she uses to ensure a happy and cheerful team spirit.

Surbhi, being a people’s person, a public speaking enthusiast, loves curating events, helping people out and lending an ear to their stories. All of these attributes, she said are very important in order to enjoy the work of an HR professional.

She believes that a company’s culture depends upon the excitement and passion of the HR department towards their work. Her journey with PlanetSpark started in March, 2021. In a span of 5 months, Surbhi has been successful in contributing to the company’s amazing work culture.

She has put her heart and soul in coming up with several events including: Funshala (an employee talent boosting initiative powered with events like Thursday night live, BYOD, Open Mic nights, Gaming nights) and interactive sessions like Photography contests and more. Surbhi has been successful in creating a safe space where employees can engage, communicate and more importantly, be heard. This is the framework for providing employees with a working ground for genuine friendships.

Biggest risks an HR professional can take

According to Surbhi, one of the biggest risks an HR professional can take is to work in a startup culture. She added, contributing to build a culture that'll be taken ahead. Culture that will set a benchmark with employee friendly policies and a procedure to follow, is very challenging but at the same time can be incredible, if done right. The strategies that Surbhi has used to create a fun- loving environment for the employees of PlanetSpark include introducing impactful events that focus on active involvement of each and every person within the organisation.

Companies that have a clearly characterized culture that focus on personal growth and active involvement of employees by creating a common vision and establishing a common set of values and principles are better able to function in the long run. Individuals that work in a healthy and development focused company culture are prepared to contribute more to the company and in general are more joyful, more productive and more dedicated to their role.

We wish Surbhi the best as she gears-up to curate even more fun experiences for teams at PlanetSpark to excite, engage and collaborate. It is absolutely necessary that the employees feel valued and enjoy their time at work, especially now more than ever.

In a nutshell, 5 takeaways to build an efficient and happy work culture are:

1. Communicate: Speak it up and let it out. A well-communicated team always knows that the feedback is on their work and not on them. The clarity that communication puts on the table is like no other. It can boost teamwork and lead to better project collaboration.
2. Open Door Policy: What if, the cure to a major issue is trapped inside the head of an intern. It is important to be transparent and have an open door policy. This makes way for more ideas and ownership. It allows every member to put across their views and ideas, which further leads to more ways to solving a problem.
3. Celebrate: Don't just recognise, celebrate your team's achievements. If they get a gold, they are bringing it to the brand. Hence, a calling for a celebration. These moments matter, however are often missed. It helps employees build a sense of security in their value to the company, motivating them to continue great work.
4. Encourage Diversity and Inclusivity: An inclusive workplace doesn’t just have a diversity of people present, it has a diversity of people involved, developed, empowered and trusted by the business. These elements can help you develop great new products and new ways to cater to customers.
5. Employee Delight: Your Team Matters. Period.

But then again, there's no basic answer for fixing or further developing work culture, it requires energy, time, and consistent efforts. It is an ongoing process not a day's work.

Don’t forget to share your thoughts and views with us, in the comment section below. Also, did we mention that we're looking for AWESOME people (meaning: YOU) to join our team. Help us spread the word!

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