10 Reasons Why Workplace Culture is Important in 2022

The shifts and changes that the workplace went under over the last two years as companies reacted to the covid-19 pandemic gave many organisations an opportunity to evaluate the importance of culture in their office. As employees spent extended hours working from home, businesses were given an opportunity to review their culture at work and build work environments that support employees and allow them to perform and be at their best.

Organisations that embrace the impact of culture on their workforce in 2022 will benefit from how this strategic decision will impact their employees and their feelings of psychological safety, inspiration, productivity, and engagement while they work from home or in the office.

What is Workplace Culture

While this article is focused on having a brief look at the ten reasons why positive workplace culture is important it’s first key to understand what we mean when we talk about workplace culture. Is it a set of unwritten beliefs? Attitudes? Traditions? Or a set of rules formally written down by leaders within the organisation

When we look at workplace culture it is basically an organisation’s overall combination of their shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and values that make up the environment at work. It is, as Forbes noted, a set of assumptions that is shared by employees. Workplace culture does not need to be limited to organisations that have employees in the physical office but also goes across the spectrum of how people come to work, whether that is virtual, hybrid or in-person.

Workplace culture is unique to each organisation and will be shaped not only by the people that work in an organisation but also by the work that they need to get done. It is not easily measurable, but it does impact how employees feel at work. Culture is unavoidable at work. Organisations that embrace the impact of culture at work by cultivating a positive workplace culture is to their benefit.

Why is Workplace Culture Important?

In this article we can not have a complete overview of the impact of workplace culture for organisations and employees, but we will look at ten specific reasons why it should not be neglected.

It can help to maintain employee workplace psychological safety

• Psychological safety, which we explored more in an earlier article, is important for organisations that seek to have an environment that prioritises their employee’s mental health. The basis of psychological safety is created by an environment or culture of trust and respect that is created by an organisation. It is directly impacted by the culture at a workplace. If that culture is negative and closed employees will feel less psychologically safe and may not be able to speak up at work about positive and negative aspects at work.

It impacts employee well-being

• Employee well-being, like psychological safety, is directly impacted by workplace culture. This was especially observable during the pandemic as businesses and employees underwent a significant amount of stress at work and at home. Many times, stress is unavoidable but companies that have promoted a positive and open workplace culture are more able to support their employee’s well-being.

It helps to attract top talent

• Organisations that have a strong sense of culture and identity are more attractive to top talent as they seek new positions. This sense of culture is more important than ever as the talent market is more competitive than ever. If an organisation has a clear sense of culture, they will be more able to not only weigh up if candidates are a good fit for the organisation but also give candidates a better idea of what working at an organisation looks like.

It drives performance and productivity at work

• Workplace culture touches on almost every facet of work and it influences the way that people perform and behave while they are at work. When an organisation prioritises a culture of support and enthusiasm employees can feel more excited to work each day. They would feel that they are able to be more successful at work and when they are not at they best they know that they can rely on their workplace to support them until they are able to perform as they would like to.

It affects collaboration and teamwork

• Workplace culture should be a unifying factor for employees at work who may come from very different backgrounds and age groups. When employees feel like they have a common sense of purpose and culture they are more likely to be successful as they are comfortable to work together. As organisations seek to make sense of their culture, they must embrace the diversity of their workforce while finding this uniting set of behaviours and beliefs.

It can improve employee engagement

• Workplace culture that positively values its workforce and their experience at work is key to making employees feel that they are valued. The feelings of being valued at work improves how engaged employees find themselves at work. Companies with a healthy workplace culture are more likely to motivate their employees.

It benefits retention of talent

• Employees that work at an organisation that prioritises their culture will be more likely to a feel a sense of loyalty over the long term to their organisation. While employees may change their workplace for a number of reasons that cannot be changed by culture (like location), it is notable that this will still have a major impact on their decision making.

It impacts internal communication

• A positive workplace culture allows employees to feel like they are heard and appreciated. Good communication helps to create mutual respect and trust regardless of an individual’s assumed authority at work. A workplace culture that supports this communication allows for businesses to have a space for employees to feel able to communicate their ideas and contribute to the organisation in a meaningful way.

It can help to cultivating a sense of pride at work

• When employees feel proud of their work and their workspace, they are more likely to want to perform their best at work. A workplace culture that can support employees so that they feel this sense of pride will be able to see it reflect in their work performance.

It impacts employee satisfaction

• Employees that are satisfied at work are more likely to feel motivated to perform at their best. Satisfaction is key to how employees feel when they are at work. That is not because everyday will be completely satisfied but rather that they have an overall sense of satisfaction and culture at their work impacts their satisfaction in a noticeable way.

Companies that do not embrace the opportunity to revisit their workforce culture will find themselves missing out on an opportunity to improve the world of work for their employees.

Download our World of Work Trends Report 2022 now so that you can read over other several other trends that organisations in 2022 can embrace.