Let’s say you’re vetting a new job and you’ve pinged your network. You may have heard, “They’re a great company to work for.” Or, “They treat employees horribly, and the business is struggling.” What they’re describing is the company’s culture, and a business succeeds or fails on the strength of its “personality” – shared beliefs, values, ethics, and goals.
A company’s culture is more than a hiring asset or liability. It directly affects your bottom line. Potential customers form relationships with brands not solely on what a product does or how it performs. What can make a prospect become a loyal customer are shared beliefs. It’s also what turns a new hire or current employee into a devoted brand ambassador.
Think of it this way. Value differences are more important than functional differences because a product’s functional differences have an “expiration” date. We live in a 2.0 world where today’s truly unique benefits are tomorrows after thoughts. But a company’s values such as ethics, trust, and intelligence endure. They’re powerful motivators a customer or employee can “buy into.”
A strong, positive corporate culture drives strong, positive business results. Consider Apple; it’s more than a maker of computers and smart phones, it’s cult following is associated with elegant design and innovation. Nike is not just a maker of athletic gear. It’s a company built on the ethic that performance is driven by persistence and dedication. “Just Do It” is a mantra worn with pride by amateur and professional athletes alike.
Successful companies like these understand a culture doesn’t just happen. It’s carefully built and tended to daily. Their core beliefs and values shape more than business practices; they inform everything a company does. Equally critical is hiring people that share these beliefs and who are encouraged to advance them through ingenuity and entrepreneurship.
McDonald’s most famous product, the Big Mac, was created by a franchisee who was given the forum and freedom to create his “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun” concept. It was introduced in Pittsburgh in 1967 and rolled out nationally to enduring success in 1968.
So how do you create a culture in which people clamor to be part of your team and customers become brand evangelists? There are many factors to consider, and StellaPop has the expertise to help you build a culture of value beyond the bottom line.
