Companies with a positive corporate culture generally have happier employees, higher productivity and profits. They attract and retain top talent who improve the business through innovative new ideas. What’s their secret? Here are the five attributes common to companies known for having a thriving culture.

1) Passionate employees 

Today’s employees want to work for a company with goals and a mission statement that inspires them. When you hire staff with values and goals that align with those of your business, you have employees working passionately towards the same business objective and goals.

2) Collaborative work environment

Most employees don’t work well in a competitive environment where each team member vies to be the top performer at all costs. The constant pressure to outperform co-workers sends many talented employees to the exit door. Instead, encourage team members to use their individual skills and talents to work together on projects. Doing so generally produces a better product or service for your customers.

3) Empowered employees

Heavy-handed leaders who micromanage their employees may notice high turnover on their teams. Companies with a positive corporate culture train their managers to empower employees to work autonomously and own their tasks and responsibilities. They encourage innovative ideas to make processes and procedures more efficient. This leads to the pride of ownership in one’s work which also generally results in increased productivity as well.

4) Consistent recognition

Employees feel valued when their contributions are recognized and celebrated. Businesses that put an emphasis on quality work and achievements tend to retain their employees. Regularly celebrate accomplishments and significant milestones for teams and individuals in the presence of their peers. This could be a scheduled monthly company meeting or through an employee newsletter.

5) Growth opportunities

Every employee has personal career goals. For some, it is to rise through the leadership ranks to an executive position. Providing them with learning opportunities to increase their management skills and projects to lead helps them prepare for their next career step. Other employees want to complete a degree, achieve a certification or master a new skill. Giving them funds to further their education helps them achieve their career goals and makes them even more valuable members of your staff.

Culture is a vital component of every business and is often why companies retain or lose their employees. You can create a positive corporate culture at your business by adopting these attributes of the best places to work.