How Companies in Different Domains Benefit from a Culture Strategy

Do you make business decisions in the spur of the moment, or do you create a business strategy built on the foundation of deliberate choices? That’s what we thought - the latter sounds a lot more lucrative an option, doesn't it? Much like any major business decision, company culture is also something that requires methodical execution.

Today, we are undoubtedly in the age of the empowered employee. Employees are astute in their understanding of an undesirable work culture and will not hesitate to leave a job because of it. They are subscribing to a way of life and have high (read: justified) expectations from their employers, in terms of an alignment of world views. A culture strategy is about being purposeful about the culture you wish to inculcate in your company; achieving this can be beneficial to employees and other stakeholders in the company. 

We picked out three key domains which can illustrate that company culture is a constant in even vastly varying domains - 

Non-Profits

In a non-profit, the missionary component of peoples' motivation is very high. They have made a very conscious choice to work in social sectors because they care about making an impact, much more than other motivations like material comfort or financial incentives. Since such organizations are about service to society, it becomes important to know what kind of culture and values are appreciated within their setup. The company culture of a non-profit organization must be reiterated not just through their vision and mission but living the values they espouse in every aspect of the organization  mission. Having a culture strategy in place can ensure that the workforce of such organizations is nurtured and does not burn out, but stays motivated to their jobs and helping people.

Service Firms

Service firms typically require substantially large workforces. There are a lot of human touchpoints with customers, between departments, hierarchically, and within departments. However, as the workforce expands with the business, it becomes difficult to maintain the core values and ethos of the organization. This is where a culture strategy can save the day. A strong company culture unifies the workforce in their loyalty to their organization because the environment is just that good, no matter how many branches or verticals the business is growing across. Having a detailed and coherent culture strategy can protect the organization against dilution of the company culture owing to a large volume of employees. 

Tech & Startups

The current talent market for tech and startups is driven by supply. There are a lot more jobs and few good people to hire. This means that the power dynamic is tilted in favor of prospective employees of tech and start-up organizations. So companies have to pitch themselves to these potential employees, just like they would to a potential customer. Oftentimes, strong company culture becomes the key differentiator between an organization that is attracting the right talent and one which isn't. Strong company culture can facilitate a great employee value proposition and ultimately help you benefit from the vast talent pool.

Gone are the days when only a few companies would care about their culture. The workforce of today needs you to articulate and amplify your culture - irrespective of which domain you are in. And remember, you have to practice what you preach when it comes to company values. We assure you, this is one place where the 'fake it till you make it' philosophy is sure to fail.

If you want to build your culture strategy, start with creating your culture manifesto here.