Does this sound like your company's culture?
Projects are delayed. Employees don't openly communicate. Team members keep their frustrations to themselves.
Then, suddenly, a top performer joins a competitor.
As an HR professional, you're left wondering: What just happened?
Was it a bad week? Bad month? Bad year?
Or is something going deeper?
The best way to get to the bottom of this is to conduct a company culture survey. But it's important to ask the right questions that employees feel comfortable answering and to follow up on the responses you receive.
In this article, we'll cover why culture is important, how company culture surveys can help HR professionals understand the company culture, and 7 questions to ask in a company culture survey to start improving your culture.
Here are the top survey questions to explore and understand your company culture.
Why is company culture important?
Company culture is the heart of your organization. It's the collective behavior of your people, the shared norms and values, and the way these elements come together in the workplace.
As an HR professional, you know that culture is more than just a buzzword - it's a powerful element that can make or break your success.
It's the magnetic field that attracts talented people to your company and keeps them there. It energizes them to do their best work. On the other hand, a poor culture can drain morale and productivity in invisible but impactful ways.
Time and time again, research has shown the links between culture, employee engagement, and organizational performance. Positive cultures create happy, motivated, and committed employees. They lead to lower turnover rates, higher customer satisfaction, and greater business performance.
Plus, in today's transparent world, culture is under the spotlight. Savvy candidates evaluate more than just their paycheck potential. They consider company values, mission, and work environment.
Thanks to the rise of platforms like Glassdoor, the veil has been lifted and the culture can be a deciding factor for talent to join or stay.
How can surveys help with company culture?
Company culture is a complex, multi-faceted entity. It's not always visible, and it's certainly not static. It evolves, grows, and shifts with your people, your leadership, and your external environment.
So, how do you keep your finger on the pulse of your company culture? Enter the company culture survey.
Culture surveys are a powerful tool in your HR arsenal. They help you measure, track, and understand your organization's culture. They shed light on employees' perceptions of the company's values, mission, and work environment.
Surveys allow you to capture valuable insights from your employees about their experiences and perceptions. They help you identify areas of strength, but also areas for improvement.
They facilitate two-way communication between leadership and employees, fostering a sense of shared ownership of the culture. When executed well, surveys can serve as a springboard for ongoing dialogue about culture, sparking positive change and development.
Finally, surveys provide quantitative data to track your culture journey over time, evaluate the impact of initiatives, and benchmark against industry peers.
Company culture survey questions
I have a good understanding of our organization's mission, values, and goals.
Every organization, regardless of size, industry, or geography, has a guiding purpose: its mission, values, and goals. These elements serve as the North Star, providing direction and shaping decisions, behaviors, and culture.
But what if your employees don't understand these guiding principles? It's akin to navigating a ship without a compass. It can lead to misalignment, confusion, and missed opportunities.
Asking employees if they have a good understanding of your organization's mission, values, and goals is crucial. It sheds light on how well these key aspects are being communicated, understood, and embodied across the organization.
If there are gaps in understanding, it may indicate a need for better communication, education, or alignment. Understanding and alignment with these core principles are critical to cultivating a strong, vibrant culture.
The way our organization makes decisions reflects our organizational values.
Your organizational values are more than words on a webpage or a poster on the wall. They are the fundamental beliefs that guide your company's behavior and decision-making.
If the way your company makes decisions aligns with its stated values, it demonstrates integrity, transparency, and consistency. These are crucial components of a positive company culture that builds trust and respect.
On the other hand, if there's a disconnect between your company's actions and its stated values, it can breed cynicism, erode trust, and undermine your culture.
I see behaviors displayed across our organization that are consistent with our organizational values.
Your company values should be more than mere words; they should be lived out in everyday behaviors and actions. These behaviors, repeated over time, become the fabric of your company culture.
This question is crucial as it provides a window into how well your values are being operationalized and internalized. Are employees seeing behaviors that align with your values? If so, it's a sign of a healthy culture.
If not, it may suggest a gap between what you say you value and what is genuinely valued, resulting in a culture disconnect. Such disconnects can breed skepticism, disengagement, and ultimately, turnover.
Our organization constantly looks for ways to improve.
Innovation and improvement are not just buzzwords; they're the lifeblood of thriving companies. They reflect an organizational commitment to learning, growth, and adaptability.
This question explores your company's commitment to improvement. It's an indicator of a growth-oriented culture, one that embraces change, encourages learning, and is adaptable.
If employees perceive your company as being open to and proactive about improvement, it signals a culture that's dynamic and forward-looking. On the other hand, if employees perceive stagnation or resistance to change, it can signal a culture that's risk-averse or complacent.
Our organization's values provide a good fit with the things that I consider important in life.
Alignment between personal and organizational values contributes to job satisfaction, commitment, and performance. When employees' personal values align with those of the company, they're more likely to feel fulfilled, motivated, and committed.
This question probes the level of this alignment. A high level of fit signals a culture where employees feel at home, leading to increased satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty. A low level of fit might indicate a disconnect that could result in disengagement or turnover.
Understanding this alignment can help your organization foster a culture where employees feel connected and engaged, not just with their work, but with the broader organization.
My job is important in accomplishing the mission of the organization.
Employees want to feel that their work matters. They want to know that they're contributing to something bigger, something meaningful. This is the essence of job significance.
Asking employees whether they feel their job is important to the organization's mission taps into this fundamental need. It's a measure of how well you're creating a culture where everyone feels valued and purposeful.
A high level of perceived job significance can boost morale, motivation, and performance. Conversely, if employees feel that their work is insignificant, it can lead to disengagement and lackluster performance.
Our organization inspires me to go beyond what I would in a similar role elsewhere.
At its best, a strong company culture can inspire employees to reach new heights, to push boundaries, and to give their best. It can make the difference between average performance and extraordinary achievement.
This question delves into this transformative potential of your culture. It seeks to understand whether your company, through its culture, inspires employees to outperform what they would in a similar role elsewhere.
If the answer is yes, it's a testament to a culture that motivates, supports, and brings out the best in its people. If the answer is no, it may indicate that your culture is not inspiring or lacks the conditions that promote exceptional performance.
Wrapping it up
As an HR leader, understanding and nurturing your company culture is a big part of your job. The right survey questions can help you do that by providing powerful insights.
Remember, it's not enough to just ask questions. You need to act on responses to continuously understand, engage, and act to build a stronger, more vibrant culture.
If you embrace this journey, you'll foster a culture that attracts, engages, and inspires the best talent.
If you're interested in learning how Sparkbay can help you build a more engaged workforce, you can click here for a demo.
