How To Build Company Culture at Your Accounting Firm

Tips to build company culture 

Where you work is where you spend at least 40 hours of your time on a weekly basis. That’s more than 2,000 hours annually. If you’re going to spend that much of your life at work, it’s pretty important you like where you’re at. If not, people will leave for better opportunities. According to a survey, 47% of active job hunters are looking to leave their current gig because of bad company culture. To make sure you have a high retention rate, it’s important to put concentrated effort into your employees' work lives and experience—plus it could increase and drive profits. Companies with a thriving culture earn 4x higher revenue growth, data shows. Stand out from your competition and dedicate time to building a great company culture at your firm.  

An attitude of gratitude goes a long way

Giving credit where credit is due can really boost morale and encourage an environment of gratitude and appreciation. Consider investing in software programs like Motivosity or Kudos that easily allow employees to recognize their peers.

Lead from the top down

If the top leader at your organization doesn’t actively participate in and cultivate your workplace’s culture, it will be extremely difficult to keep up with. For example, if you allow employees to leave early on Fridays, but their bosses and higher management choose to work late on weekends instead, it will set a tone that taking advantage of that benefit is not acceptable. It sends a message that upper management doesn’t approve of that aspect of work culture. Alternatively, if upper management leaders actively try to participate in the office’s culture and lead out with a positive attitude, it will trickle down to each employee. 

Reward hard work

People feel valued when they know their work is appreciated and noticed by their peers and bosses. Research studying "top performance motivators" discovered 37% of workers feel most encouraged and motivated from personal recognition. Alternatively, if an employee isn’t recognized for a job well done and is only punished for their mistakes, it’s likely they will feel less motivated and be more likely to underperform in the future.

37% of workers feel most encouraged and motivated from personal recognition.

If an employee is struggling with their work, make sure to schedule a private meeting to check-in and discuss what the issue is. Never under any circumstances reprimand a worker in front of their peers or other employees — it is unprofessional and can hurt morale for the entire team. Instead, schedule a private meeting with that employee to discuss the work you are dissatisfied with. Help the underperforming employee achieve their goals and check in regularly. A recent report on employee engagement and the modern workplace revealed that 84% of highly engaged employees were recognized when they exceeded expectations in their job performance. Comparatively, only 25% of actively disengaged employees were given a pat on the back for good work. 

Invest in your firm by building a great company culture

Creating a culture of gratitude and appreciation will increase employee morale and in turn, increase motivation. Productivity suffers under poor leadership and thrives under empowering leadership. What things are you doing at your firm to actively promote a positive work culture? Let us know in the comments below.

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