Employee experience
How to Create a Culture That Employees Love
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | Apr 6, 2017
Thirty-three stories above the Texas prairie, more than 100 recruiting and HR professionals gathered on a sunny February morning to learn the secrets of creating a winning workplace culture from 2017 Glassdoor Best Places to Work winners. This post shares condensed speaker quotes on five key themes from the discussion led by Lisa Holden, Glassdoor Employer Communications Manager. The panelists:
- Bret Farrar, CEO & Founding Partner, Sendero, Best Places to Work: 2017 (#9) SMB
- Jeff Selander, Chief People Officer, Health Catalyst Best Places to Work: 2017 (#11), 2016 (#7) SMB
- Vince Lim, Head of Experience and Communication, LiveRamp, Best Places to Work: 2017 (#10) SMB
- Britt Ryan, Head of Recruiting, Entelo, Best Places to Work: 2017 (#13) SMB
Put your people first
The first key to a winning culture is to put first what culture is all about: people. Aligning how your people work and how you help them grow with your values lays the foundation for productive workplace. “The culture does not stand alone from the business that we do.The culture is how we work with our clients and community. Culture is not something you apply after, like lipstick on a pig. What we do and how we do it is integrated.” - Brett Farrar “We are built on growth, on growth of business and of people. We put a big focus on growing people and growing careers. We give them the biggest challenge they can take on. We promote from within: two of our current executives started as interns.” - Vince LimEmbrace transparency to create trust
Transparency means letting employees in on how decisions get made, and acknowledging and acting on feedback. When people know that you’re listening, they’ll trust you more. “It’s really hard to build a great organization if you don’t embrace transparency. One of the best ways to build trust is to reveal things about yourself. You’ve got to tell them what’s going on behind the company’s decisions. We believe that if everyone understands the business context, they’ll be able to make the right decisions. Everyone’s personal goals are on a Google Doc, and we put meeting notes online. This level of trust has paid off.” - Vince Lim “People are the driving force behind sustainable competitive advantage. When you truly trust and value the people in your organization, the trust is reciprocated. It’s a ton of little things that add up over time. - Jeff Selander “We trust the team. We don’t make things bigger than they are. If you acknowledge where you are and recognize that you will continue to evolve and develop, you will build trust. People respond very positively to being trusted and being asked to be part of the solution.” - Brett FarrarEmbrace Glassdoor
Not only does Glassdoor help candidates, it’s a feedback tool to inform how to evolve your culture. By making an effort to engage with Glassdoor and act on feedback, you’ll show employees you care while giving valuable information to candidates, investors and partners. “We were getting only 5 reviews a year and wanted to show more to help candidates. After some trial and error, we found that having team leads encourage reviews was the most effective way to get more. It started a virtuous cycle. All the additional information and exposure has helped us develop our brand.” - Vince Lim “Get leadership to understand the value of Glassdoor. Everyone who is a candidate goes to Glassdoor. Potential investors go there. It’s also important if you are looking to raise money. The content you put up doesn’t need to be super glossy. You can use your smartphone to take pictures. Encourage hiring managers to write reviews. Respond swiftly to reviews, be authentic and don’t over think it. Don’t take a PR approach with lots of opinions from different people. Don’t be scripted. Own the positive and negative.” -Britt RyanEmpower Grassroots Interest Groups
Each of the companies had grassroots special-interest and volunteer groups. These projects that combine passion and values helps employees bond outside of individual teams, creating a more family-like atmosphere. “The true magic happens when employee interest groups come from bottom up. Our pro-bono activities and clubs are all owned by employees. What makes me the happiest is when someone else is owning a program. We just help coordinate.” - Vince Lim “We have 10 programs like that. One example is a teaching kids to code program. Our Day of Service program was started by an entry level team member.” - Jeff Selander “In our grassroots programs, we look for people who bring passion to an effort and will see it all the way through. It develops leadership skills and gives people a chance to own something.” - Brett FarrarGet Leadership on Board
The attitudes and behaviors of company leaders set the example for employees. Panelists suggested that if leaders are hesitant to get involved, convince them it’s necessary for the business, and hold them accountable. “Unless you have buy-in from leaders it’s difficult to make it sustainable. Employee engagement is about better business outcomes.”- Jeff Selander “Leaders need to be responsible for engagement with team. Until you decide to evaluate someone on it, there’s no consequence.” Brett Farrar “We ask our CEO to respond on important reviews. He looks to peers in the industry (such as Glassdoor and Greenhouse CEOs) as models.” - Britt RyanAdvice on Making Glassdoor BPTW
While only 100 U.S. companies make the Glassdoor Best Places to Work every year, setting your sights on the Employees’ Choice award means you take workplace happiness seriously. “What you’re really looking for is to be a great place to work, not make a great place to work list.” -Brett Farrar “Don’t make becoming a BPTW a one-year plan. Think about the smaller steps you can take. Start a campaign for Glassdoor reviews.” - Britt RyanGlassdoor Team
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