With a 40+ hour/week work schedule being standard in the U.S., the idea of a good work-life balance leaves much to be desired. While this used to be prioritized by employees, a recent study by Glassdoor found that work-life balance was actually the least important factor when it comes to workplace satisfaction. Surprisingly, company culture and company values ranked in the top two spots.
This trend seems to be increasingly gaining momentum in the modern workplace. Whether it’s Bagel Fridays or ski weekends in New Hampshire, we strive to foster a strong company culture here at Campus. Here are three reasons why Campus values company culture, and your company should too:
1. It Sets and Maintains Employee Direction
According to an article by Forbes.com, Why Corporate Culture Is Becoming Even More Important, company culture does a lot to help build upon and improve other areas of your business. First, by encouraging engagement in out of office excursions, you’re helping set and maintain direction of your employees. You’re showing them that you understand they are deserving of a break or some type of reward for a job well done.
Likewise, it also helps them keep their sanity and to refocus when it’s time to get work done. For the Campus Summer Outing this year, we ended one of our work days early, had a few beers and pizza in the office and then headed over to Fenway Park to catch a Red Sox game on the Bud Light Roof Deck. This fun company outing definitely helped us recharge for the rest of the season.
2. Retention and Team Chemistry
Another benefit to a implementing these social out of the ordinary activities is employee retention. If your company is perceived as “fun,” you’ll attract better talent and a higher quality applicant pool. More importantly, the employees who understand those company values and are good at their jobs are more likely to stay for the long haul.
For example, the Campus Team had not one but two Christmas parties this year. At the second one, we donned our ugly Christmas sweaters for a Secret Santa gift exchange, enjoyed drinks and apps at a restaurant close to the office and finished our night at a karaoke bar (Frank Sinatra was involved). Personally, I’m going to stick around so I can see an encore performance at next year’s Christmas party.
Team building activities also do wonders for chemistry among employees. A few weeks ago the Campus team participated (admittedly unsuccessfully) in an Escape The Room challenge. Given just one hour, we had to use our critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills to solve elusive clues and unlock the door of the room we were trapped in. Even though we ran out of time, each person played their part in helping to solve the clues. Afterwards we drowned our sorrows with drinks and apps and strategized for our next Escape the Room challenge.
This month we also ventured to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire for a weekend retreat of skiing, comfort food and countless team bonding games. When your employees voluntarily choose to spend their weekend together eating and sleeping in the same house (with spotty cell reception), you know you’ve got a good thing going.
3. Company Image
Lastly, a good company culture reflects well on your company’s overall image and effectiveness to get the job done. Depending on your company’s area of expertise, it lets your clients and customers know you can relate well to the people you are dealing with.
At Campus, we have laid back atmosphere and casual dress code (shoes are optional, slippers are encouraged). This company mentality helps us better connect to the people we engage with on a daily basis–college students. We understand the college lifestyle (and try to mimic it from time to time) which encourages our student employees to excel in their jobs, meaning we’re successful, too. Students are happy, clients are happy, and we’re happy we can wear jeans everyday.
