Adam Day

With high levels of uncertainty continuing this year, HR leaders are starting to worry that their tactics to maintain company culture are no longer enough. In fact, 43% of HR leaders believe that maintaining company culture will be one of the biggest challenges in 2021. 

Although various companies demonstrated an extraordinary potential to sustain and even improve company culture at the start of the pandemic, this year will present a whole new challenge. Businesses worldwide will test their resilience and their ability to adapt to these changing times.

Prioritizing company culture will demand more than just organizing virtual happy hours. It will require HR leaders and other execs to reflect on lessons learned and reassess company values. Taking all this into account, this article will share tips on how HR leaders can nurture their company culture in a sustainable manner that will lead to organisational trust and growth.

The Long-Lasting Impact Of COVID-19 on Company Culture 

First and foremost, it’s important to acknowledge that COVID-19 has been a huge learning experience for all companies. The virus has forced businesses to stretch beyond their comfort zone and implement new protocols that have directly and indirectly impacted company culture. 
Now, while some of these measures, such as wearing face masks and social distancing, are deemed as temporary until offices are COVID secure the virus is no longer a risk, other measures have taught companies new ways to operate, and are likely to be here to stay. 

Remote Work 

The most prominent change is the shift to remote work. With 41.8% of the American workforce currently remote, HR leaders have had to find ways to maintain company culture virtually. Surprisingly, however, remote workers have demonstrated high levels of productivity, happiness and efficiency. 78% of 669 CEO’s believe that remote working - even if only part-time - will become permanent. 

We are social beings and need that personal connection and collaboration but the days of the 40 hour in-office work week is dissipating. 

What this means is that companies will have to think of long term strategies to maintain a positive remote work environment - as well as be willing to provide flexible working options post pandemic if they seek to retain talent. Many employees are regarding the option of remote work as a non-negotiable.

Increased Dependence on Technology 

Relatedly, with virtual work gaining such momentum, employees have had to step up their tech systems and provide better tech training to their employees. Whereas before companies could have gotten away with having only a few tech-savvy teams - all workers now are expected to be able to navigate software tools more efficiently. In a post-pandemic world, it is likely that companies will place greater importance on adopting technology that is straightforward to navigate such as low code tools and easy to use software.

Making Work-Life Balance Matter

As the world faces COVID-19, companies have blurred the lines between work and personal life. HR personnel have become more involved in the health and wellbeing of employees. In this critical time, employers have offered extra support for personal issues - whether it is mental health services, encouraging more open conversations, or trying to focus on increasing employee happiness. Employees have responded positively to such changes, as they have felt more valued. This trend is likely to continue as it boosts morale and productivity.

Establishing Strong Company Values - And Sticking By Them

When trying to come up with a strategy to strengthen company culture this year, companies must reassess what they consider important. Values should be the groundwork to any future strategy if businesses wish for it to be successful and sustainable. 

The highest-performing companies last year demonstrated that there are certain values that are critical to strengthening culture during the pandemic.

• This includes:
• Top Team Communication
• Integrity
• Employee Welfare
• Transparency
• Family-Friendly Policies
• Agility

These values build trust within an organisation and help maintain a resilient company culture. According to Mckinsey, 70% of transformation failures occur when the company culture is weak - and more often than not, the issue comes down to a lack of trust and direction. Thus, it is important for companies to commit to their values and instill them within the entire organization.

Essential Tactics to Improve Company Culture in 2021

After taking into account trends that will be long-lived and establishing clear company values, HR leaders must start thinking about how they can implement new strategies to strengthen company culture throughout 2021 and beyond. Here are a few tactics to consider implementing as we progress through the pandemic. 

Optimize Communications 

This year HR leaders should look into effective ways to optimize internal communication systems. This can include conducting surveys to determine what platforms have the greatest employee engagement for newsletters and updates, asking employees to share what communication campaigns they find most effective and assigning points of contact to give employees a person to go to for particular questions and concerns.  

Enhance Employee Benefits 

With a changing working environment, it is expected that employees require a new range of benefits. For example, during a health crisis, health care benefits should be evaluated to see if they offer the necessary support to employees. This can include evaluating coverage for prescriptions, deductibles and copays. The idea is to offer employees peace of mind when it comes to their health and to provide support.
Similarly, considering adding more family-friendly benefits is a good way to ensure that all employees feel equally supported by their employer. Now more than ever, parents are struggling with child care - and companies need to find ways to accommodate these needs if they wish to sustain a strong company culture. 

Create Space for Development 

For many employees, last year was about - being able to do their normal job under different circumstances. This year - however- many will want to focus more on career development. Thus, HR leaders should consider creative ways to offer professional growth in the remote work world. 
This can include incorporating online learning and development programs, keeping better track of milestones for employees who aren’t in the office, and providing fully remote interview and assessment processes for internal job applications. Additionally, organising one on one calls with employees to discuss how the company can support professional progression, can imbed a sense of loyalty and collaboration in the workplace.

Final Thoughts 
All in all, it’s impossible to predict what the future holds for businesses this year. Despite the COVID-19 vaccine distributions offering hope, HR leaders must on the one hand manage a safe return to the workplace, while on other hand manage new challenges that can hinder company culture. The good news behind all of this, is that companies can use this time to learn, experiment and strengthen systems that perhaps have been overlooked in the past. If done wisely, this can be a transformative and definitive time to improve company culture.

Written by Adam Day, President & CEO at Time Rack, a time and attendance and HR services company, providing time tracking software, hardware and mobile apps to businesses.