Workplace culture – Do we really need a dog in the office?
So, what exactly is workplace culture?
It’s a difficult question to answer, because honestly, there are many different answers! In our opinion, it can best be described as the common things that drive your company – and everyone in it! It is defined by what supposed to motivate and inspire everyone. Whilst companies are finally giving importance to culture, it is still all too often a very surface level consideration! Many companies might include a pool table, or even extend Bring Your Dog To Work Day to every day. However, whilst these are some pretty cool ideas (and these can be amazing ways to complement a company’s existing culture) – they can not be the sole basis of workplace culture.
Can we not get a dog then?
I’m not saying you can’t! In fact, sometimes this is the perfect way to express your workplace culture… However, it is crucial you understand a dog won’t create your culture! In order to understand how you can improve culture at your company, you should consider what the core values of your company are! If you’re (actually) a company which encourages all the employees to socialise and they actively do – it may make sense to include a pool table. However, perhaps don’t waste your money on this if your company doesn’t encourage socialising!
SocialChain is a great example of a company with dog friendly offices, which leads with its’ core values at the centre of what it does! By stating their values clearly (to be first, fearless and ever-changing) – they highlight the importance of this to any prospective employees. This is a great way to increase the likelihood of better suited candidates applying for roles at your company. It is crucial that you attract people to work for you for the right reasons – rather than for your cool office policies!
There is also the downside of the dog to be considered. If you focus solely on gimmicks, and not building a core company culture, you will achieve nothing! Furthermore, you might alienate employees who are actually the perfect fit for you. For instance, you might be putting off those with allergies to dogs (and for no good reason)! Focus on improving what actually makes up your culture, and what your employees really want. If you are a company which values teamwork – you could even put it to your employees to come up with how they actually want to bond as a team. This goes further than an office dog or just suggesting work drinks, which can create a more fragmented culture by excluding certain groups.
And for those who can’t take their dog to the office… We recommend RelaxMyDog – as they will keep your dog mellow and relaxed whilst you are gone!
What can I do about workplace culture?
This is a great question, and one which we are able to help with. The best way to monitor and/or improve culture at your company – is to understand it. If you make efforts to evaluate what your company culture is, you will become one step closer to improving it. Obviously, it is easier said than done to do this – especially with larger companies where perhaps the core values of the company and the employees have become misaligned. Whilst it can seem daunting to analyse your workplace culture, FLOCK is able to help with this, due to our unique assessments!
