Do you feel happy, productive and valued at work? Does the level of your company’s culture have anything to do with how you feel? Company culture plays a huge role in your overall happiness at work, so if you’re finding that you’re not thriving it might be time to reevaluate your employer’s culture and how it affects you.
Studies show you’re happier when your employer values rich company culture and provides you with the things you need from a job. Things like purpose, development and motivating feedback can go a long way when they come from an employer. We’ll explain what company culture is and how beneficial a robust culture is for you and your success.
So, what is company culture?
We hear about company culture all the time, but what is it? According to Great Place To Work, company culture can be defined as “how you do what you do in the workplace. It’s the sum of your formal and informal systems and behaviors and values, all of which create an experience for your employees and customers.” Company culture is different from business to business, but the core of it is meant to bring employees together. Your company’s culture can be the subtle things, like the complimentary treats in the break room, or the positive energy from your colleagues. It’s also the big things, like social events or recognition of your achievements.
Why should you care about company culture?
The average person spends much of their life working, so wouldn’t it make sense to work in a positive and welcoming environment with people you enjoy being around? Working for an employer that fosters a culture based on respect, strong relationships and a joyful atmosphere helps employees flourish.
Programs like employee recognition can have an impressive impact on your well-being and can even prevent burnout. According to SHRM, “More than 70% of employees who have good recognition experiences at work rate their lives more positively overall and are more likely to be “thriving” in their everyday lives compared to those who are not being fully recognized.”
Rich company culture is highly desired by employees. In fact, according to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, 77% of adults consider a company’s culture before seeking a job and another 56% deem culture to be more significant than salary. Another study shows that employees think the most important factors contributing to job satisfaction are “being treated with respect, feeling valued by their leadership, and feeling that the work environment was social and supportive.”
Gauging company culture
Often, you can feel out a company’s commitment to culture through their website and social media accounts. At DuraTech, we have a page on our website along with a blog post explaining our culture and how our Team Members feel about it. It isn’t always that obvious, though, and this article from Glassdoor can help you determine your current and future company’s culture, and even help you discover what you value most!
Company culture is crucial at DuraTech Industries
At DuraTech, we don’t just advertise our mission and values. We live them:
“To provide a challenging work environment where our people are given the training and education to enable them to reach their highest potential and where they are involved and empowered to make a difference… We respect and celebrate our people’s diversity and recognize difference as a source of creativity. We value loyalty, resourcefulness, creativity, hard work and pride in workmanship. We dedicate ourselves to provide a safe and fun work environment. One that promotes a healthy lifestyle, open communication, teamwork, learning and community involvement. We value success.”
And this is why Team Members enjoy a rich company culture at DuraTech. Annual social events like DuraFest, Pancake Breakfast and the Souper Bowl Lunch are exciting ways for Team Members to spend time together while playing games, eating food, and taking their chance at earning extra PTO. DuraTech also encourages Team Members to give back to their community by hosting events like Adopt a Family and food drives.
Our Team Members receive anniversary gifts every five years, birthday gifts and a turkey/ham giveaway for Thanksgiving. Plants are sent for funerals and baby gifts are sent when Team Members have a new baby. In addition, each department is given a budget each year to use on recognizing Team Members. Team Leaders have the ability to reward Team Members with gift cards or extra PTO when they go above and beyond.
Our culture contributes to our retention, too. As of 2022, Team Members stay with DuraTech for an average of 10.75 years and our culture is frequently named the reason for that. We also implement an employee suggestion program – our Bright Ideas Program – to encourage improvements where our Team Members see they’re needed.
Team Members are open about how DuraTech’s culture affects them
When Team Members talk about why they stay with DuraTech, the answer is always the culture created at the company:
What this means for you
We understand that your career is about you, your growth and your happiness, and our culture at DuraTech is built to support that. It’s important that our Team Members feel happy and productive at work, so empowering them and providing a rich company culture is our priority.
So if our culture speaks to you, visit our Career Opportunities page. Or better yet- call and ask if you can tour our facility.
