Common Types of Company Culture Issues, and How to Handle Them

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Did you know that more than 47% of job seekers actively consider a company’s culture when applying for a job? If your company culture is thriving, this is good news! It means you’ll attract talent that will fit with your existing team members.

But if your culture is lacking, it means you could be missing out on some of the best applicants.

The best way to stay on top of things is to familiarize yourself with the most common types of company culture issues so you can fix problems before they get out of hand. Here’s what you need to watch for.

Gossiping Employees

One of the clearest signs that your company’s culture is suffering is gossip. If you hear employees across different departments spreading rumors or discussing the company or their coworkers in a malicious manner, you’ll need to start fixing the problem as soon as possible.

When left unchecked, gossip can spark feelings of distrust in leadership and force company morale to reach an all-time low.

Start addressing those rumors in a responsible way. Host a company meeting and give employees insight into the company’s current financial situation. Or talk to the employees spreading rumors directly and clear up any misinformation they may have.

Let your team know about any struggles you’re facing and ask each team member to do what they can to help.

By encouraging employees to help the company succeed, you’ll help create a sense of ownership and pride in what they do. When employees take pride in their work, they’ll often work harder to help your company reach its goals.

Lack of Clear Leadership

Successful companies that create a sustainable growth mindset have an established group of leaders in place. These leaders help employees reach their goals within the company and can identify areas of improvement before any shortcomings start impacting the quality of the company’s products or services.

A lack of clear leadership can leave employees feeling confused, powerless, and dissatisfied with their jobs. It can also force your team to take on responsibilities that are outside the scope of their positions. Once this happens, it’s normal for employees to start looking for new jobs elsewhere.

Take a close look at your leadership team. Do your employees know who to report to and who to discuss specific issues with?

If so, you’re in good shape. But if you don’t have an established leadership team, it’s time to create one.

Unestablished Core Values

Your core values explain to your team why they’re doing the things they do. This can help them make smart decisions in their work.

Examine your company’s current core values in detail. Are they vague? Do they fail to communicate what your company stands for?

If you’re not sure, ask your employees. See if they understand what your company’s core values are. If they can explain them, you’re in good shape.

However, if your team doesn’t understand them, it’s time to reevaluate what your brand stands for.

Ask your employees for insight into what they think the values are. Use those insights to better flesh out your company’s values into something that your team can stand behind with pride.

Siloed Departments

When your employees are able to communicate and work with other departments, they feel more inclined to identify ways to improve processes. This creates a more collaborative company culture that fosters growth and improvement.

But if your teams are siloed or separated, it can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction and a lack of willingness to help the company grow.

Look at your company’s structure. Are your teams encouraged to work together? If they’re not, start finding ways to build those inter-departmental networks. When you do, your employees will feel more empowered and start to believe in the impact that their work has on the company at large.

Even better, they’ll develop new friendships with coworkers that they otherwise might not get to know. This can help them feel happier coming to work each day and will be more likely to stick around for years to come.

Encouraging Overwork

There will always be times when the pipeline gets so busy that team members have to work late to meet specific deadlines. But that should never be the standard.

When companies encourage overwork, it leads to burnout which, in turn, increases the risk of employees quitting. The more employees that quit, the harder it will be for your company to meet deadlines. And that can lead to dissatisfied clients, hurting your bottom line.

Instead of encouraging overwork, encourage productivity. Ask your employees about the tools they need to do their jobs efficiently and stay on top of your hiring efforts to ensure that you have a large enough team to manage their assigned workload within the standard workday.

When employees know that they’re not expected to work after hours, they’ll be more likely to stick around.

No Real Upward Mobility

Companies that have a thriving company culture know that the best place to find new leaders is within the company. Look at your hiring practices closely.

If you’re hiring for senior positions externally rather than promoting team members you already have on staff, your culture will suffer in the long run.

Luckily, this is an easy thing to fix. Instead of opening those senior positions to external candidates, open them to internal applications first. If none of your employees is a good fit for those positions, you can start collecting external applications.

But you might just find that one of your current staff members will be the perfect fit. And when your employees see that their hard work is rewarded with a promotion, they’ll be more likely to work harder and stick with the company for years to come.

Watch for These Types of Company Culture Issues

As an employer, keeping your company growing and thriving is always a priority. As long as you keep an eye out for these types of company culture issues, you’ll be able to create a culture that your current and prospective employees will love.

Keep in mind that building a thriving culture is just one part of creating a company that people will want to work for. You’ll need to constantly reevaluate your operation and your hiring practices each year.

Check out our latest posts for more tips to help you attract top-tier talent for every position you’re hiring for.