Vital for every organisation, having a strong company culture will influence everything from daily processes to top-level decisions. Company culture leaves its mark on brand identity, retention rates, and employee engagement to name a few.
It’s also something that is ever-changing, responding to changes in the industry or new leadership, shifting demographics and other factors, and it’s HR’s responsibility to guide this evolution.
The HR role in company culture is ingrained. So, how can HR influence company culture for the better?
Align recruitment with your goals
People you hire and the way you hire them will have a big impact on your company’s culture. If you champion inclusion and diversity, your hiring processes should include implementing unconscious bias training, allowing for reasonable adjustments at interviews, and using ‘blind hiring’ techniques when shortlisting. The HR role in company culture involves being able to adapt it where necessary, and in this instance, they might want to make it easier to attract qualified staff.
Take the lead on culture
Taking an active approach to company culture, HR leaders should work with the executive team and stakeholders across the business. Evaluating current culture and assessing potential gaps or opportunities to create a strategic plan to align the organisation’s culture with its values and goals. When a clear vision has been established, HR can work with leaders across all areas of the business to implement it.
Keep leaders on track
It can be easy for senior managers in the business to lose sight of how business decisions are perceived by the wider organisation. HR can bring culture to the fore to remind executives of he impact their choices have on morale and engagement.
Practice what you preach
HR should be consistent, acting as a role model within a company to embody the behaviours and values that the organisation wants to promote. When leaders go against their own purported values, company culture is negatively impacted – and, a good example set by leadership can be transformative in gaining respect from the rest of the organisation.
HR leaders therefore can shape their company’s culture in ways that are both unintentional and deliberate, playing a major role in the success of the company and the happiness of their colleagues.
Use strategic compensation and reward
A competitive compensation scheme is vital for creating a culture where employees feel valued for the work they do. Compensation is about more than salary, and reward programmes can play a part in encouraging happiness and engagement. Offering a cycle to work or car sharing scheme, for example, is great for an eco-conscious company.
Champion learning and development
It’s never been more important to have a workforce that’s adaptable, willing to learn, and forward thinking. HR leaders can encourage this by championing professional learning across each area of the organisation. Investing in qualifications, setting up coaching, and encouraging collaborative learning between teams and departments will build a culture that promotes the importance of CPD.
HR and company culture
The impact HR professionals can have on company culture is huge, and it’s important to understand the role that they can play. Engaging with CIPD courses online will provide you with all the tools you need to influence your company’s culture for the better.
