You’ve probably heard significant talk in recent years about the impact of company culture on overall success. A strong culture means a strong brand presence, higher sales, more positive associations, greater opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets, and most important: a strong culture means more effective staffing. Companies with cultures that work have access to better candidates with higher levels of talent, and once they land these candidates, they have an easier time retaining them over the long term.

So when it comes to culture, where do you stand? Are you already well-respected in your industry, or could your internal atmosphere use some work? If you can answer yes to each of the questions below, you’re doing well. If not, it may be time to make a few changes or get some outside help.

Are your workers happy?

This is the broadest and simplest metric that can help you understand your culture. Do your employees actually like working here, or are they just tolerating this place because they don’t have any other options? If you can simply look around your workplace and see honest evidence that suggests one or the other, don’t ignore this evidence

Are you soliciting feedback?

Other than a simple glance around the workplace, what methods are you using to assess employee attitudes and loyalty? The best companies distribute anonymous surveys at least once a year, and often two or three times. They also maintain open door policies and strong lines of communication between managers and staff, so when something goes wrong, they can fix it quickly.

Do you help your employees resolve their conflicts?

Your management style and your parenting style may be similar: Do you step in when your teams experience conflict? Or do you let your adult staff members solve problems on their own? The approach you choose will be directly reflected in the strength of your culture. Great employees who can’t trust you to make decisions fairly or back them up when they’re challenged by a client will leave. You’ll say goodbye to your team players and you’ll be left with the quiet strugglers, the loners, and the cutthroat competitors.

Do you reward teamwork and performance?

If you aren’t, you should be. Keep in mind that before you reward performance fairly, you’ll need to measure it accurately.

For more on how to improve teamwork and elevate your company culture, reach out to the staffing professionals at PSU.